huiray

The Inner Harbor in Baltimore has many decent places but be warned that it is somewhat touristy (of course). Since you're staying at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront you will be close to Little Italy as some here have basically conveyed to you. Amongst the restaurants there, AVOID Ciao Bella. There is a lovely bakery (Vaccaro's Italian Pastry Shop) in Little Italy which has quite nice stuff and would also afford you a "late night" dessert & cappucino soirée. (It's quite popular too) On the waterfront just around the corner from you both Cingiale (modern Italian) and Charleston (American) are very good but will not be inexpensive. How long will you be there? Will you have a car? The good Pit Beef places (by definition IMO "Pit Beef" only means the sort you get in Baltimore) are not anywhere near downtown B'more. Chaps (mentioned on this thread) (...aannnd right next to a strip joint with a REALLY HIGH sign) is out on the Eastern periphery of town, for example. Other places for good Pit Beef will need a car. Lexington Market (also mentioned here) is on the Western side of the downtown area and can be, uhh, colorful. DO NOT wave your cell phone in the air [it has been known in the past for folks passing by to literally snatch your phone out of your hands and disappear into the crowd] or be careless about your personal effects (or your car, in the parking lot there). If you're in luck, you might also see a drug deal or a gun transaction go down within your eyeshot. ;-). I can't say I'm too fond of Faidley's Crab Cakes - even the premium ones (there are a few grades available). They're fine, and pretty good,but not the "best" around, IMO, notwithstanding their extravagant claims to fame and their signage attesting to same which are more than a decade old. (Their "Maryland Crab Soup" is another utter dud, BTW) Nevertheless, the Market is a very interesting place to wander through. Just be aware of your surroundings.

Lunch Monday: Pork & scallion meatballs§; in a pork stock¶ with baby veggie tips (“菜苗”) & bánh phở. § Minced pork, finely chopped scallions & finely chopped smashed garlic marinated w/ sesame oil [Dragonfly], Shaohsing wine [Wei Chuan], sea salt, ground white pepper & some tapioca flour [Flying Horse] then formed into balls by hand. ¶ Pork stock simmered w/ dried thick-cap flower-patterned shiitake mushrooms (stems removed & broken into large pieces) & a small handful of dried whole anchovies, then all solids seined from the stock (some of the shiitake mushroom pieces retained) and the pork meatballs put in, simmered, followed by the veggie tips. The bánh phở was cooked separately in water, drained, "bowled"; and the meatballs, veggie & soup/stock added.

Aha, thanks.

yes, but my point is that those two locations that you note are located on City-owned or state-owned property, so the cost to set up shop there is less than what it would be if a farmer's market were in a building owned by a private entity. the SI Ferry Terminal is owned by the NYC DOT (Department of Transportation). the Port Authority is a state entity, operated jointly between the states of New York and New Jersey. edited to add that GrowNYC is a not-for-profit corporation, therefore their operating costs must certainly be quite small for them to remain solvent. rental and leasing costs are a significant expenditure -- so any farmer's market in an indoor space under the auspices of their program will very likely be located within a City- or state-owned location. this link provides more information, including the tidbit that the Council on the Environment of New York City, GrowNYC's predecessor, was a non-profit corporation under mayoral control: http://www.newvillage.net/Journal/Issue2/2greenmarket.html Yes thanks, I'm aware of the ownership and background of the PA and the SI Ferry Terminal. :-) I wonder why there aren't more opportunities to make use of City- or State-owned properties, so to say. (I also used to pass through the PA on a not infrequent basis back in the day, and I've used the SI Ferry Terminal at other times with my car)

Longroper, just curious, are you familiar with this couple and their operations? https://www.wildalaskasalmonandseafood.com/ I still have some of their salmon in my freezer, and they just had their "last session" at the Bloomington (IN) Farmers' Market the past weekend.

I wonder if it's possible many Costa Ricans like their food just fine the way it is? Other folks might have different preferences?

That makes sense. I note that GrowNYC does have vendor stalls in the Port Authority terminal and the Staten Island Ferry terminal...but of course these are with just one or two vendors at those locations. Maybe in Brooklyn or Queens? Or Staten Island? Hmm, I just noticed I said "In Indy the Farmers' Markets are indoors." in my previous post. I meant winter Farmers' Markets, of course. In spring/summer/fall they are all outdoors.

Lunch on Sunday: • "Shui Kow" [Pork, shrimp, cabbage & mushroom; Prime Food] and chiffonaded Lacinato kale in chicken stock. • Fried rice - with sautéed chopped garlic, sliced Westphalian ham [from my local German butcher], Chinese long beans (cut into ~2 inch lengths or thereabout), three eggs¶, day-old steamed Basmati rice, chopped scallions, and chopped "Japanese onion/scallion". ¶ A space cleared in the middle of the pan, a bit more veggie oil added in there, the eggs broken directly into the middle & scrambled a bit in situ before folding in the rice then folding in the stuff on the side of the pan.

Lunch on Saturday: • Veggie soup - with Taiwan Choy Sum, snow fungus (Tremella fuciformis), Taiwanese-type long Napa cabbage ("Wong Nga Pak"), cauliflower florets & sliced pork in stock. (The sliced pork was also used in making the stock) • Stewed pork belly slices (leftovers from the previous day)¶ on white rice (Basmati) w/ chopped cilantro. ¶ I just noticed that I cited the shiro miso brand I used as "Maruchan". That is incorrect. The brand (Manufacturer) is "MARUMAN".

Looks very tasty! I'd like a couple sandwiches, please. Hmm, but perhaps not rare enough inside - Baltimore folks might raise an eyebrow or two. :-) They might like it a bit more charred on the outside too... [p.s. I like B'more's pit beef... ;-) ]

Thanks, that's useful general info. In Indy the Farmers' Markets are indoors. The Indy Winter Farmers' Market is currently located in the west wing of the City Market (both east and west wings are large enclosed spaces)(The IWFM previously wandered around a few spaces, all indoors, before settling into City Market) while Traders Point Winter Greenmarket is held in an enclosed barn (heated) on the premises of a local creamery. There are other Greenmarkets/Farmers' Markets in the mid-west which are indoors. The winter Farmers' Markets (plural) in Chicago are indoors. All these markets are NOT supermarkets or groceries, they are actual Farmers' markets with vendors selling local produce and other vendors selling prepared foodstuffs or artisanal products.

Uhh...I used Chelsea Market simply as an example (albeit a famous one) of an indoor market. Fine - so you regard the place with curled lip - are there indoor Farmer's Markets or similar produce markets other than supermarkets (which you seem to dislike too) that you know of and can suggest/recommend for general info? BTW, I go to my local supermarkets or normal groceries (and especially my local Chinese grocery) more than to Farmer's Markets around here especially in winter, when I find local produce to be inferior. An exception would be fat-stemmed, squat, sweet winter spinach, when I can find it. Not the skinny etiolated ones. Oh, it always helps to have a fat wallet too, whether in winter or summer, at a Farmer's Market...and you also need to fight for parking space with BMWs and Lexus's (neither of which I drive) and other such chariots, and dodge big dogs (or avoid stepping on toy dogs) (in summer) that are clearly pampered and probably eat more and better than a working-class family. :-) I'll try this one more time, then I'm done with this. There's the Union Square Greenmarket: at its finest, it is packed with vendors selling an excellent array of produce and animal products, many of them locally/sustainably grown. There are vendors who sell things other than produce, but the produce and animal goods (ostrich jerky!) are the big draw for most people who shop here. I haven't come across an indoor market in NYC that is roughly equivalent to the USG, but there must be one; Chelsea Market is not it, and the 'market' in its name is just a nomenclature choice. I don't regard it (or supermarkets, which I actually enjoy, because: no tourists!) with a curled lip, but I do find the tourists entertaining to watch (I don't tease or feed them, either here or at the USG). Speaking of pictures and green markets, one of the best shopping/photo ops in NYC happens if you hit the USG just after sunrise, with the light slanting low over the freshly unpacked goods. Union Square is relatively empty, things are still and glowing, and the vendors are not yet worn out from standing around all day. Beautiful. Thank you. We appear to be talking past each other. I'll try this once more too - I understand that USG/USFM is chock full of vendors selling wonderful local produce etc especially "at its finest", as you say. What I was asking about was indoor markets - or indoor spaces, protected areas with a roof and heat where vendors sell stuff, if you will, other than USFM/USG in winter that also sold local produce. Note I used the simple phrase "indoor market" when I referred to Chelsea Market in my last post although I then did use the phrase "Farmer's Markets" when I asked about other places [obviously other than CM or USG]. I was not fixating on Chelsea Market as the epitome of such a place nor did I call it a FARMERS' market. I simply called that place by its given name. Anyway, you have answered my question from your perspective and I thank you for that. Yes, I've been at Union Square at dawn (or at sunset) several times before although not on Market days. It can be nice depending on the day. ETA: Actually, I've been there at USG on Market days too, on reflection, but I was almost always driving through en route to another place like Stuy Town or other places and had no inclination to stop & browse. I think I did stroll through USFM once when showing a friend around NYC but that was years ago. I don't remember being bowled over at that time on that occasion.

Not to mention, Chelsea Market isn't a farmer's market, unless things have changed radically in the past few months. No, but when I first asked about USFM versus, "say, Chelsea Market" I was thinking of the local stuff that one might find in both, as I explained in a subsequent post. Besides, shopping indoors in winter is more pleasant than shlepping through snow or freezing your butt off (and hands and fingers) outdoors in inclement weather, no? :-) Sure it's indoors, but despite the name, Chelsea Market is not even remotely like a farmer's market. There's just one shop that sells produce, and although I've been there a couple of times since they first opened, I never found anything particularly enticing, and definitely no more local stuff than you'd find in any decent supermarket. Basically, Chelsea Market is an upscale food mall, with a focus on prepared foods, especially baked goods, and it also has a book shop, a cookware shop, an Anthropologie, another clothing shop, and a wine shop. It tends to be packed with tourists, and priced accordingly. If you just want to avoid lousy weather while you pick out fruit and veg, you could just go to your local supermarket, and have even less of a schlep. Uhh...I used Chelsea Market simply as an example (albeit a famous one) of an indoor market. Fine - so you regard the place with curled lip - are there indoor Farmer's Markets or similar produce markets other than supermarkets (which you seem to dislike too) that you know of and can suggest/recommend for general info? BTW, I go to my local supermarkets or normal groceries (and especially my local Chinese grocery) more than to Farmer's Markets around here especially in winter, when I find local produce to be inferior. An exception would be fat-stemmed, squat, sweet winter spinach, when I can find it. Not the skinny etiolated ones. Oh, it always helps to have a fat wallet too, whether in winter or summer, at a Farmer's Market...and you also need to fight for parking space with BMWs and Lexus's (neither of which I drive) and other such chariots, and dodge big dogs (or avoid stepping on toy dogs) (in summer) that are clearly pampered and probably eat more and better than a working-class family. :-)

Actually, I've been using "ponzu sauce" as a dressing for my blanched veggies instead of oyster sauce - depending on my mood - for quite a while. It's nice. But for me I wouldn't say it is always better; rather, it is an alternative that one could say is more appealing on some days. These are the commercial bottles of soysauce-ponzu, that is. I've used the lemon version, the lime version, and a mixed citrus¶ version. ¶Lemon + sudachi + yukou + yuzu + daidai orange.

Not to mention, Chelsea Market isn't a farmer's market, unless things have changed radically in the past few months. No, but when I first asked about USFM versus, "say, Chelsea Market" I was thinking of the local stuff that one might find in both, as I explained in a subsequent post. Besides, shopping indoors in winter is more pleasant than shlepping through snow or freezing your butt off (and hands and fingers) outdoors in inclement weather, no? :-)

It depends on what sort of "garlic flavor" or "garlic profile" you want. Using either intact garlic (completely unbroken) cloves, or sliced/cut cloves, or smashed cloves, or finely minced cloves AND the length of time the preparation is left around exposed to air will alter the taste & smell profile, due to the cascade of chemical reactions involving sulfur-containing compounds that result from either the initial enzymatic reaction that starts when the cell walls are ruptured or oxidation or both. Your resulting extract will vary depending on what you do. Here's one useful citation to consider: http://jn.nutrition.org/content/136/3/716S.long (e.g. look at the middle section on chemical constituents in extracts) The first page of this one (unless you have ACS access) is also useful. Other sources have discussions on the alteration of the flavor profile depending on how you process the garlic.

Addendum: I forgot to include coarsely ground buah keras (a.k.a. kemiri [indonesian]; or candlenuts; or Aleurites moluccana) in the list of ingredients I used for the stewed pork belly in the previous post. These were added in while sautéeing with the miso+etc mix.

Panaderia, that is much more informative, thanks. I think it is more useful to call out the specific cuisines or give examples of the influences - for myself, anyway. I would be equally puzzled if I read of a Northern Thai (Isan) dish with European hints. (Yet even there to me the ranges that might be intended with "European hints" seem to be less extreme than, for example, the contrast between Cantonese steamed fish and Chettinad chicken curry...as an example...)

http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/RACE/behavioral/halibut_fbe.htm That's a lot of moolah he's lying besides.

Lunch on Friday: • Pork belly slices stewed¶ w/ lots of garlic (halved cloves), shallots (sliced), mutenka shiro miso [Maruchan], thick dark "soy sauce" (molasses) [Koon Chun], some light soy sauce [Pearl River], some Gula Melaka, bit of rice vinegar [Marukan]. I think of this as a sort of riff on Babi Pongteh, a classic Nyonya dish. • A form of young Chinese cabbage ("台灣小白菜"; literally "Taiwan small bok choy"; from my local Chinese grocery; see here too), stir-fried w/ garlic and with a slurry of oyster sauce [Lee Kum Kee], dash of sesame oil [Dragonfly], splash of ryori-shu [MRT] & ground black pepper tossed in towards the end. • White rice (Hom Mali). ¶The garlic & shallots were sautéed & lightly browned before adding the pork belly; after sautéeing for a short while a slurry of the miso diluted w/ some water, molasses & soy sauce added, the mixture banged around for a bit then the rest of the stuff added followed by water and the mix simmered till done - oh, about an hour plus to hour-and-a-half. It was made pretty "soupy"/"saucy" so I could spoon it liberally over my rice. :-)

Lunch on Thursday: Pasta Carbonara. I used a mixture of (US) pork jowl [hence, cured & smoked] and pancetta; 2 yolks + 1 whole egg; Pecorino Romano; lotsa ground black pepper; and linguine.

??? I had breakfast yesterday and posted about it. Ditto the week before, and the week before...

Thanks for the response. Very informative. Yes, the Taniguchi method is as you describe. Here's a useful link: http://www.spc.int/DigitalLibrary/Doc/FAME/Manuals/Blanc_05_Sashimi.pdf (warning: big file)

Hmm. Wonder what you mean by "Asian hints". Burmese? Turkish? Gujarati? I'll make a wild guess and suspect you mean Japanese or pan-Chinese. If so, it might be an idea to say so?

OK, thanks.