Food Truck Review for July

Food truck review for July: ( I know I am Late)

On July 1, 2010 Baltimore Food Truck Gathering took place (422 N. Central Ave) it had all the food trucks from Baltimore City. I went with three friends and got to try several items from different food trucks. On July 1^st I went to Miss Shirley Café Food Truck, Soup-er Freak, and Dangerous Delicious pies. On June 27^th 2011 the Gypsy Queen Café advertised a mini food truck gathering that include them, the Silver Platter and again Dangerous Delicious Pies. So below, I ranked trucks from “average” to “I will be their again no matter what”:

Miss Shirley Café was okay. Service was prompt and friendly. I ordered the The Alonsoville ($11.99) which is a sandwich with smoked turkey, brie, Granny Smith apples, sprouts, lettuce, tomato & honey mustard on ciabatta. It was served with mixed greens with Balsamic poppy seed vinaigrette. I also copped an order of gumbo ($4.99) which had andouille, chicken, shrimp, crawfish meat, okra & tomatoes served with brown rice. The salad was amazingly fresh!!!!!! I loved the salad AND dressing. The gumbo was ok; it was sort of bland. The sandwich was ok; filling if you’re starving, but not super flavorful.

The Gypsy Queen Café was average. I always read their menu on Twitter, so I picked a safe item: the Crab tacos, which on that night were 2 for $10. I have never had cabbage on a taco and I loved it. I love all the insides in the taco but not the shell. The shell was weird. The Crab meat was sweet and the sauce on top was peppery and delicious. I will give the gypsy Queen another chance cause they had other things I wanted to try so I will track them down and see them again!

The Silver Platter: So I ordered Pulled Pork for a friend. He seemed to enjoy every bit. I ordered the Coney Island Ribbon Fries ($2.50). My fries were interesting, and they were good. I love potatoes and they were super thin , like eating fried strings of potatoes. I loved every bite of the potatoes. My only issue was that you could taste they fried the potatoes in oil with another product - probably the vegetable ribbons, because there were hints of sweet potato and carrots. But overall I will be ordering the ribbon fries again.

Soup-er Freak: OMG just with one soup you have won me over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had your Chilled Sangria soup made with Broody sangria and melons. Oh, this soup was refreshing and sweet. I have daydreams about this soup. I want to come back and try more food. You have a loyal customer in me when you come back!

Honorable Mention: Dangerously Delicious Pies

I keep ordering pies and never get to try it, but everyone who I give the pie to loves them! So until I get a chance they get a good. I love your customer service!!!

Kooper's Chowhound Burger Wagon: I only had your fries and I loved them when I find you again I will order some and may even check out other items on your menu!

P.S. There is another Wednesday Night Food Truck gathering Tonight with Kooper's Chowhound, The Gypsy Queen and the Sliver Platter. The Gathering- Take 2 on Friday August 5th from 5-9 pm in Fells Point more specifically: ‎901 south wolf street in fells point across from redstar

Links are below:

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=256318074395492

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=221138714595648

After Cafe' is truly a Party in my Tummy

Set the scene: July 4th around 3 pm driving northbound on Charles Street with a friend. As I was driving, I was pointing out places I’ve been and wanted to go. To the right of me a little café with a very clean look called “Afters.” I screeched in the car (slammed my brakes maybe?), eyes big like a cartoon lemur. I quickly make it to my destination to text half of my friends about the new place in Federal Hill that serves frozen yogurt, espresso, and desserts. I vowed to myself that I will come and try their food. Fast forward two weeks later during the Heat-apocalypse 2011 a small legion of over heated individuals decided to go to the new café in Federal Hill.

Anyway, Afters is a new café in Federal Hill that specialize in desserts and coffee. When I walked in, I loved the décor – it was clean, fresh, and simple, with cozy sofa in front and tables for 2-4 lined along the side to the back. The place is narrow and will fill up quickly so you really have to know what you want when you walk in. The have self-serve frozen yogurt in 4 flavors: Traditional, French Vanilla, Caramel Custard and Mango. Then they have fresh topping to the side that includes blackberries, strawberries, and pineapple. If you want to get fun, they haveOreo crumbles, maraschino cherries, sprinkles, and several sauces that you can drizzle over your yogurt. One of my friends got the Mango Frozen yogurt with kiwi and pineapple.( They let me try some it was smooth and rich) I got the French Vanilla frozen yogurt with Oreo cookie crumbles, strawberries and special dark chocolate sauce. Both were delicious, sweet, cold and smooth. I get chills thinking back to that yogurt.

Furthermore, they sell specialty Macaroons such as Strawberry, Vanilla, Lemon and Chocolate. They also have specialty dessert bars and espresso. The macaroons were good. The dessert bar was good, too – I had no gripes. The coffee: beyond good. It was strong but sweet, and didn’t need any extra sugar. I don’t remember the exact flavor I ordered but it was Espresso with Caramel and Mocha. Either way it was one of the better coffees I had that week. In short, if you want a cool night out with close friends, Afters is the place to go. If you are partying in Federal Hill you should stop in – the prices are reasonable and the desserts are good. Frozen Yogurt is $0.45/ oz. Coffee is about $3~$4 cup same as another coffee place that remains unmentionable but taste so much better. The service is pretty good. My only suggestion is to bring cash so you can tip the cashier.

Go to Afters’ and see if you like it!

Banana- Honey Cupcakes CMD Style

Yesterday was one of those days where I wished I could hit the re-do button, but I can’t – I have to move forward. So to cope with this feeling, I decided to bake for my job’s summer picnic. I wanted to try this recipe I came across in my 500 Cupcake calendar from March 7th, 2011. I was slightly shocked at the fact that I didn’t need eggs or milk. I have a friend that is a vegetarian and figured he would like it. Before I made them, I wanted to do some research on banana honey cupcakes. So I went to Martha Stewart's Website:

http://www.marthastewart.com/314063/banana-cupcakes-with-honey-cinnamon-fros

to see her take on banana-honey cupcakes were; I also went to the Bread & Honey Blog.

http://bread-and-honey.blogspot.com/2008/07/honey-banana-cupcakes.html

The author of the Bread & HoneyBlog used the same recipe that I had from the 500 cupcakes. So I proceeded forward, As with any baking I usually do: I tasted the batter first and found it ok. But I don’t want just OK baked goods - I want baked goods that make people smile, so I added more “bananas.” I added some 99 Banana liqueur (49.5%) and vanilla in the batter, and the batter tasted heavenly!!!! I whipped the ingredients into submission; I had to get my feelings out, since I was upset and angry!!!!! Plus it good to add as much air as possible to the batter for lighter cupcakes ( I may be wrong), I blended for at least 10 minutes, changing the speeds on the mixer.

Earlier that day, I got some news that made it seem like everything I am working for was being taken away. I decided to relieve the stress by cooking in a full house, which is always fun - especially when my little cousin decides she wants to stand over my shoulders and cook ramen noodles in the microwave. On top of that, cooking in my Aunt’s kitchen around dinner time was like doing the Electric Slide. Boogie Woogie Woogie!

Near the end of baking, my Darling Mom called and asked me to pick her up from the light rail stop. I wanted to scream because I had 18 minutes and 32 seconds to get her and come back to the house why was time such an issue? Because I had just put the cupcakes in the oven I like to stay around and make sure they don’t explode. ( Yes Food can explode it is still a chemical reaction)

So my cousin and I sped down Druid Hill Ave to fetch my mom. I am pretty sure I gave my cousin a heart attack with the way I drove, but we got there in record time - 6 minutes. Of course, trying to get my mom to get in the car was an issue, and performing an illegal u-turn is always fun. Suffice it to say, I made it back just as the timer for the cupcakes went off.

I have been thinking a lot and these cupcakes helped me clear my head. My Aunt, being ever so wise and not looking a bit close to her age, reminded me that we as people are blessed with a multitude of talents and sometimes we should explore those talents that have been bestowed upon us. But I don’t know…I just know that I made some kick ass cupcakes with PICTURES!

PS: So no my cupcakes did not win the Dessert Competition at my Job's picnic. But that okay cause I can try again another time. Also if you don’t have time to bake these, email me and I will bake them for a fee plus delivery charge, but only to residents in the Central MD area. Why Cause I am a genuine legal hustler!

Until Next time, Deaverster

My Wonderful Aunt eating a Cupcake!

Banana and Honey Cupcakes: ( This is my take of an adapted recipe)

Ingredients:

2 cups (about 6) mashed ripe bananas

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

6 tablespoons butter, melted

2 cups self-rising flour

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1 teaspoon Cinnamon sugar

75 ml of Banana Liqueurs (Imitation Rum or Banana Extract)

Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Line muffin pans with paper liners.
3. In a large bowl, combine the bananas, sugar, honey, and butter.
4. Beat with an electric mixer until well blended. ( I mix the batter for 10 mins)
5. Slowly add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix well.
6. Spoon the batter into the cups.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.
8. Remove pans from the oven and cool for 5 minutes
9. Remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack than cool for another 10 mins.
10. When completely cool, frost or sprinkle with powdered sugar ( if you want to keep it low fat)

Cinnamon- Honey Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon honey

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon milk

1 teaspoon Southern Comfort Bourbon ( it more like 2 splashes of Bourbon)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl using an electric mixer, beat confectioners' sugar, unsalted butter, honey, and ground cinnamon until smooth for 4 to 5 minutes.

Restaurant Week: Baltimore

Don't you want a Party in Your Tummy? If you want it Baltimore will provide, with it's semi-annual Restaurant Week. It is a wonderful time to try a new Restaurant! Don't miss out. 

Also coming up:
Howard County Restaurant Week 
Baltimore County Restaurant Week
Ocean City Restaurant Week

Crab Cakes

Yummy delicious crab cakes. It is a Maryland staple. You can't go to many restaurants in my great state and not find a crab cake. It is such a simple treat, yet so easy to fuck up. I will walk you through it.


Firstly a true Maryland crab cake does not have a lot of ingredients.

And Grey Poupon and one more egg.


Recipe
1# of Lump or Jumbo Lump Crab Meat (I use J.M. Clayton Maryland Crab Meat)
1# of Back Fin Crab Meat
1 tbl sp. of Lemon Juice
3 Eggs
1 tbl sp. Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
Old Bay seafood seasoning to taste (2 or 3 tbl spoons do it for me)
3/4-1 cup of Mayo
1/2-3/4 cup of bread crumbs
Melted butter (reserve 1/4 cup)
Parsley flakes


This is it. Nothing else. Well, some old people add Worcesterchire Sauce instead of lemon, but that is all you can change!
Screw these alleged "Maryland Style Crab Cakes" with onions, peppers, or other random ass vegetables. If I just spent about $40 dollars on crab meat, I want to taste it! All I want in my mouth in sweet luscious crab meat and a few accoutrements to hold it together.


1. Pick your crab meat. Run your fingers through to remove and missed shells or gills(a.k.a "deadman" I don't know why), and orange crap. There shouldn't be a lot, but nothing screws up a "Crab Cake Experience" like finding any of this crap in your cake.

2. Make the dressing!
4 tbl sp. of melted butter, lemon juice, eggs, mustard, mayo, Old Bay, and parsley flakes in a bowl and mix it up. Reserve some in a cup, because you can't take it back out and you probably don't have extra crab meat hanging around. Please note this has to much Old Bay in it, I fucked up. I added more Mayo and an extra egg to fix it and forgot to take another picture. Shit happens.

3.Lightly, and damn you I MEAN LIGHTLY toss your crab meat in the dressing with the tips of your fingers. Keep those luscious crab lumps whole!


4. Add your bread crumbs (I like to use panko) until the mixture just holds together but is still moist. Seem a bit dry? Add the left over dressing until it will hold it's shape but is still moist.

Do you see those LUMPS. Those lovely lumps. Crabby bumps and humps? They got me tripping. Put them in the oven for 30-35 minutes on 350 until they are sexy and brown. Remove them from the oven and brush them with your left over melted butter.

Oh my God! Don't you want that? I had it with Spring baby greens and a Tri-Potato, Onion and Pea Salad, with Dill Vinaigrette.

One Of my old Co-workers swore by Mr.Yogato so why not check it out besides its fells point Frozen Yogurt and Beer awesome combination!

The Best Daily Deals in Baltimore: $10 to Spend on Frozen Yogurt http://t.co/1Xq6yKF via @LivingSocial

http://livingsocial.com/deals/36843-10-to-spend-on-frozen-yogurt

If You Build It They Will Come (The Gathering: Food Truck Rally Review)

On Friday, July 8, 2011 the city held its first ever food truck rally simply known as “The Gathering.” Of course you know us ladies were there to get a sampling of some of Baltimore’s finest food truck munchies, and finally take a small peek into something people have been talking about for weeks now. Housed in some small rock filled plot (no seriously whose bright ass idea was it to stuff this into a tiny little area that obviously use to hold some type of building?) 9 of B-more’s best food trucks came out to dish out the grub. There was beer, people, food, people, live music, and oh yeah did I forget PEOPLE.

Before we get started here’s the obligatory list of trucks that were there: Kooper’s Chowhound Burger Wagon, Miss Shirley’s, IcedGems, Souper Freak, GrrChe, Gypsy Queen, The Silver Platter, Dangerously Delicious Pies, Curbside Cafe and more. I apologize for not documenting the names of all the trucks, my 5’3” self was too busy being dwarfed by much taller sometimes drunk people holding sloshing beer cups with no lids. Enough said.

This event was packed full, and as a result a lot of the trucks sold out pretty quickly. *ahem*Icedgems*ahem* The general word around the trucks was that they were really not expecting that big of a crowd. Why? I don’t know. I mean it’s BALTIMORE and you said FOOD was going to be there. Not to mention it’s food from the glorious trucks that circle our city, but only stop in certain “nice area’s” of Baltimore. A lot of people don’t get the chance to partake in some of the lovely yummies that come out of these food trucks because

A. You don’t know about them. (You are obviously living with your head tucked in the dirt and you had NO clue that there was something called a burger wagon that actually sold burgers.)

B. They don’t come around where you work. (This was my major issue with these trucks. They only come to John Hopkins, Yuppie parts of the city, the Harbor, or somewhere in the county.

C. You only have 30 – 40 mins for lunch. (I guarantee you 10 of those minutes will be taken up either waiting in line or waiting for your food, but it is oh so worth it.)

The Gathering was the perfect opportunity for anyone not familiar with our local food trucks to get a taste of what they serve throughout the work week. That being said I hope the next one is better stocked with food. I only got to taste from two trucks and that makes me a sad flipping panda. I REALLY wanted some cupcakes, but IcedGems was like the first truck to sell out. Then I had to walk around watching with lust filled eyes as people carried around clear plastic casing of beautiful sweet cupcakes. However, that’s another rant that I don’t even want to get into.

I had the Elvis burger and a side order of fries from Koopers Burger Wagon. Now this is not my first experience with the almost orgasmic taste of burgers from them and it won’t be my last, but I will review it for the sake of saying I ate something. If you are a burger lover and you have not been introduced to Kooper’s Burger Wagon let me kindly say you do NOT know what you are missing. The Elvis ($10) is a big angus burger with blue cheese and apple wood smoked bacon. It also had a huge slice of red onion, tomatoes, and lettuce. All of which I normally pick off of my burger because I want to taste the meat not a salad, but with this burger it felt almost like a crime to molest it in that way. Juicy is such an obvious term when it comes to describing burgers, but this burger really is juicy. The fresh crisp taste of the onions and tomatoes, paired with the tang of blue cheese on that meat is a beautiful thing. Sadly they were out of sweet potato fries, but their regular fries are still pretty good. They were salty but not obnoxiously so, a little on the soggy side for me but all in all tasty. My second dish a chilled sangria soup was from Souper Freaks. It wasn’t quite the heavenly experience as the burger, but it was a nice fresh end to my night. Honestly I wanted the chocolate berry love soup (made with chocolate soup, raspberry liqueur, fresh berries, hazelnuts, and whipped cream.) but they were sold out of it by the time we came wandering back.

It was a good adventure that apparently if all things go well they are trying to make it into a recurring event. One place told us once every 4 months and another place said once a month. Nevertheless if they do decide to continue this (which I sincerely hope they do) I would like for them to be better stocked.