Greetings my delectable blog readers. I certainly hope that you all emptied your stomachs during the winter break, and that your mouths are watering for some more scrumptious food blogs this semester, because UMBC Eats is more than ready to satisfy your hunger for food stories, recipes, recommendations… and then some!
I’m sure that I speak for many (106.5 million to be exact) when I say that America is currently suffering over its yearly football hangover with the 2009-10 NFL season coming to an end after a thrilling Super Bowl on February 8th. However, who says that we can’t hold on for dear life to memories of another awesome football season… at least in our stomachs!
Photo Credit: Jedda
When one makes a grocery list of Super Bowl snacks, one usually includes a jumbo bag of either Lays’ Potato Chips or Doritos (perhaps both, depending on how big the Super Bowl party is), liter after liter of sodas and possibly a plate of various cheeses. However, one absolutely CANNOT make a Super Bowl grocery list without its important dish: the classic, always appetizing, hot buffalo wings!!! With so many types of wings to choose from, and the consideration that you’ve probably gotten hungry from just reading this sensational list of food items, here is a recipe that I found for Spicy Chicken Nuggets (Chicharrones de Pollo), courtesy of simplyreceipes.com:
INGREDIENTS:
-1/4 cup dark rum
-1/4 cup lime juice
-1/4 cup soy sauce
-1 Tbsp sugar
-1 ½ pounds boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
-Vegetable Oil (canola oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil or other high smoke point oil)
-1/2 cup flour
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon paprika (hot or sweet)
-Lime wedges
-Hot sauce
METHOD:
1) Prepare marinade, stirring together lime juice, rum, soy sauce, and sugar in a bowl until sugar has dissolved. Add the chicken to the marinade and let marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature (can marinate longer chilled, but allow to come to room temp for 30 minutes before cooking).
2) Pour enough oil in a skillet so that it comes up the sides at least a half an inch. Heat oil on medium high until it is shimmering, and a little pinch of flour sizzles when you drop it in the pan.
3) While the oil is heating, whisk together the flour, paprika, and salt in a bowl. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture and transfer to a plate.
4) Fry the chicken in batches (about 3), about 3 minutes on each side, until deep golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. (If the chicken is browning too quickly, reduce the heat a bit). Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil.
*Recipe adapted from September 2007 issue of Gourmet magazine*
The official URL to this recipe is here. How sweet it is to know that we have buffalo wings to enjoy outside of football season! Someone cook this, try it and let me know if it’s as good as it sounds!
- Ricky
8059 Main Street, Ellicott City
It’s really easy at times to get stuck in the mentality that there is nothing to do around UMBC. Sure, Baltimore and DC are a close drive away, but what could be cool about Old Ellicott City? A lot of things!
Besides the assortment of antique stores that line Main Street, there are a ton of cute local shops and businesses in the mix. One such business is an eclectic coffee shop located at 8059 Main Street, the Bean Hollow. While its location is moderately sized and fills up quickly on weekend afternoons, the Bean Hollow is still a hip hangout space full of colorful and antique décor. In the back of the store is an old bean roaster, making the coffee shop one of a few that roasts its own beans in store. Overall, it has an old-time feel, but is perfect for a young, sophisticated crowd.
My friends and I went to the Bean Hollow on a whim one day and were pleasantly surprised by the coffee selection and the many delicious baked goods. In addition, the shop offers an extensive selection of sandwiches and snacks, such as a yummy hummus platter that’s great to share. The menu has a whole vegetarian section and there are gluten-free desserts, making it perfect for those with strict diets.
A lot of coffee shops exist, but my friends made the distinction that the Bean Hollow was an actual coffee shop, with great tasting coffee and good espresso drinks. And for students (all of us!) on a tight budget, you don’t have to worry about spending a lot of money – everything is a great value. With new coffee specials all of the time, it’s worth it to make the Bean Hollow a regular place to spend time. Take a trip outside of the circle and learn more about the culture that exists in our own backyard!
- Stefanie
Photo Credit: Jedda
Three years ago, President Hrabowski signed the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment and took a major first step towards a sustainable campus. By signing the commitment, the University is pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and incorporate sustainability into the educational experience, as stated on the website. Right now, students are running several projects to move UMBC towards a sustainable food future.
The Great Kids Farm: located on RT 40, this farm has been transformed from a decaying mass of buildings and land into a flourishing environmental education opportunity for Baltimore City School Children. On top of educating students about where their food comes from the farm also supports a local Co-Op as well as volunteers doing everything from building greenhouses to feeding the chickens. Contact: Greg Strella gregory.strella@gmail.com
Students for Environmental Awareness: As part of the ProveIt campaign sponsored by the SGA, members of this organization and beyond have designed a plan to implement a community garden on campus that allows students to grow their own food and hopefully even supply the dining hall. Contact Tanvi Gadhia thetanvi@gmail.com
SGA Environmental Affairs: On top of many environmental issues this department is working with Chartwells to create a system of composting within the kitchen of the dining hall. Partnering with the great kids Farm, compostable materials will be taken to the farm every week and then taken back in order to be used as mulch later on. Contact: Maddy Hall mhall13@umbc.edu
Photo Credit: Jedda
You can also join the Blackboard community for the Baltimore School Food Project by clicking on the ‘Communities’ tab and entering search term ‘food project’.
Many thanks to Maddy Hall for providing information.
- Alison
Photo Credit: Jedda
Well this past week has been very white and fluffy. For the first time in most of our young lives we saw somewhere around 50 inches of snowfall within the same week. That being said, for the first time in… oh, lets say my whole life, I found myself trying to cook. Well, I don’t think that making sandwiches counts as cooking, but it’s a start.
Photo Credit: Jedda
During the time I spent snowed in to my house I came to the understanding that cooking was something that I had to get better at because I cannot make sandwiches for my kids for three meals a day (I do not have any kids, I am just thinking ahead). So I spent time reading about cooking and “helping” my roommates cook. I came up with some very strange creations that held me over and helped me survive. Ever try putting a waffle in the toaster and then topping it off with chunky peanut butter and chocolate syrup? Well, if you have not, try busting that out at your next dinner party. It is a fantastic desert.
Another great, quick, and yummy dish to make would be a grilled cheese. Now, “hold on to your butts” (Samuel L. Jackson- Jurassic Park) because I am going to throw a curve ball. Rather than the usual bread cheese combo, I changed it up a bit. Next time you try to make this college kid classic, add an egg and some form of mild salsa. So the sandwich looks like this: Bread, cheese (your choice I recommend Pepper-Jack), salsa, egg, and other piece of bread. It is a great spin off of the old American classic.
Well, this is the kind of “cooking” I did while being snowed in. But enough about me, let’s talk about you. I want to know what kind of food you chose to cook while being snowed in. You can send me pictures or just give me a little write up about it. Ill collect it all and have it put up onto the website. E-mail me at Bar3@umbc.edu. Enjoy the snow and Happy St. Valentine’s Day!
- Nick
Photo Credit: Jedda
Don’t get me wrong breakfast food is amazing. Waffles, pancakes, French toast… need I go on? But when you wake up 20 minutes before class there really is no time to be Betty Crocker in the kitchen. So what do you do?
Skip it.
You dream up all kinds of lunch combinations as your stomach grumbles through 9 am lecture. By lunch time you are more than ready to bite your arm off.
The point being, breakfast can no longer be syrup-drenched deliciousness.
Our college lives are too fast paced (read: lazy) to deal with actual cooking. So it is all about the convenience factor.
For about 18 years of my life, I skipped breakfast. Sleep> Food. Enough said.
I soon grew frustrated of having a grumbling stomach all throughout my morning lecture. I was pretty sure everyone in the lecture hall heard me as well.
My solution?
I want my first meal of the day to be a healthy- grab and go deal.
Most days I eat groyo ( I tend to make some words up) Granola + yogurt = amzingness!
Not only is this a no mess breakfast, it keeps me full. Some days when I am in a jam bars are the best idea, Special K and Cliff just to name a few.
If eating food as soon as you wake up is not your thing, try grabbing a smoothie. Tricking yourself into getting something to eat is the way to go.
In case your eyes blurred over what I just wrote.
Recap Top 5 Reasons why you should eat breakfast:
1) You can spend valuable lecture time focused on physics and not dreaming of lunch.
2) Everyone can hear your stomach grumble. Yes it is that loud.
3) Eating in class can make said 8am physics lecture fly by.
4) By properly nourishing your body you can have a lazier productive day!
5) Break/fast. Get it? You have been fasting for 8 hours.
True or False?
Q: You can lose weight by skipping breakfast.
A: False. Skipping the first meal of the day leads to more binging and munching between lunch and dinner. By eating early in the day you can jump start your metabolism and burn fat all day long!
- Sana
If you usually eat at the dining hall, you’ve probably stumbled upon one of Chartwell’s events. Each semester, they put together themed programs that encourage people to come eat and enjoy the festivities. They have a calendar of their events posted inside the dining hall and some events are advertised on posters in the Commons and the UC near their restaurants. Many of them fall on holidays but this month, however, there are oodles of special occasions and give-a-ways to attend!
Every Friday at Mondo’s Subs, you can get a Footlong for $5! This is comparable to Subway’s deal, but is conveniently located right inside the Commons. Be sure to check that out if you don’t have a meal plan and want to save some cash.
This Sunday, February 7th, True Grit’s will be hosting a Superbowl party. No need to trek through the snow to the supermarket for chips and salsa, get your sports attire on and head over to the dining hall between 4:30 pm and 10:00 pm. Watch the Big Game on their big screens and have all the food prepared and kept warm for you – plus, no dirty dishes to wash!
On Tuesday, February 9th, stop by True Grit’s during their lunch hours, 10:45 am – 2:00 pm, for the Black History Celebration. Chef Steve Pierce will be serving Pan-fried Cod with Parm-Mashed Potatoes.
Starbucks will be hosting a Grand Opening Ceremony on Wednesday, February 10th. Every 100th customer will receive their order for free! A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 2:00 pm. Other specials will be announced on location. If you love coffee, be sure to stop by!
On Valentine’s Day; Sunday, February 14th; a Chocolate-Lovers Dessert promotion will be served during dinner hours, 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm. Enjoy the best chocolates that True Grit’s has to offer!
Salsarita’s will be promoting a Free Flip Tuesday on February 16th between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm. “Any cash, credit, flex or retriever dollar paying customer gets a chance to win a FREE side of chips and salsa or a fountain beverage.” – taken from Chartwell’s website.
That night (Tuesday, February 16th), A Mardi Gras celebration will occur in True Grit’s at dinner time, between 4:30 pm and 7:30 pm. Be sure to check out some of those Cajun flavors that will be served.
February 17th and 18th will consist of a Spin-the-Wheel promotion held at Famous Famiglia Pizzeria in the Commons between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm. Not too many details are released about this event, but it sounds like it could save you some money or provide you with free pizza or some of the other menu items offered. Stop by to see what that is all about!
Stay on the lookout for other Chartwell’s events on campus. Many giveaways and chances to win free or cheap eats are almost always present. The themed dinners in the dining hall provide an interesting new alternative to the usual menu.
Happy Eating!
- Evan
Although this is a food blog for current students, here’s some information for any alums who may stumble on our site:
If you wouldn’t even know where to begin in the kitchen, join the UMBC Chapter of Young Alumni on January 21st for a cooking class at For the Love of Food located at 20 Clarks Lane, Reisterstown, MD 21136.
The menu selected to be prepared, "Small Plates, Big Tastes," includes Sage Grilled Chicken Souvlakia and Olives, Tortilla de Berenjenas (Eggplant and Tomato Tortilla Sandwich), Caramelized Onion, Wild Mushroom & Goat Cheese Tartlets and Avocado Spring Rolls.
For more information or directions to the facility please click here.
SAVE THE DATE!
CYA Cooking Class 
For the Love of Food, Reisterstown, MD
January 21, 2010
7:00 p.m.
As we enter a new year, that being 2010, I would like to take a moment to reflect upon some of, what I consider to be, the most memorable moments of 2009. With this, I also dedicate my final blog post to the people who have given us the memories that will stay with us as we forge ahead into the future. Since my goal in writing this blog is to address food across our fine UMBC campus, I’ve decided that, as a result of these memories, I might be able to contribute some suggestions that might be added to menus at eating spots throughout the campus.
On a scale from 1-5, with 5 being my least favorite (but still desirable and worthy of recognition) and 1 being my most favorite, creation, I submit the following recommendations:
5) Farrah Fawcett “Angel” Hair Pasta- This menu item is dedicated to my favorite of Charlie’s original Angels, Farrah Fawcett. Although I wasn’t old enough to appreciate Ms. Fawcett during her prime, since my mom was a huge “Charlie’s Angels” fan, I have watched most, if not all, of the reruns of this show on TV Land and WGN. Beauty like that simply cannot be ignored. This entre is a gently tossed angel hair pasta, seasoned with a light cheese sauce and fresh vegetables. This dish’s creation is especially targeted toward the many lovely ladies who make UMBC such a beautiful place to be. Almost “heavenly.” Darling Farrah- may she rest in peace…
4) “Sugar” Ray Rice-A-Roni- This next dish is dedicated to a member of the Baltimore Ravens (and next Super Bowl Champion-my favorite running back in the NFL), Ray Rice. This tasty new flavored brown rice is accented with the finest chipotle peppers, and is fast and easy to make. I would recommend that this be eaten with a nice, big, juicy rack of beef barbeque ribs, completely fat free and “bad to the bone.” HE-COULD-GO-ALL-THE-WAY!!! See ya at the Pro Bowl, Sugar Ray!
3) King of “Pop-” Corn Chicken- This dish is dedicated to one of the greatest musical icons of all time, Michael Jackson. Since chicken is one of my favorite foods, and Michael Jackson is (and forever will be) one of my favorite artists in the music industry, I would serve this without a side item. Either way, you’ll be completely satisfied. Gone too soon- may you rest in peace, MJ…
2) The Tiger Woods “Weiner” DOG- This menu item comes with no bun, no “condiments” and is made of leftover chicken products. Bottom line… it’s just nasty!!! I think that, as a result of the recent allegations made against Tiger Woods, this dish speaks for itself. This dish can only be served up with one of the corniest jokes that I’ve heard in 2010! Q: What do you call a tiger that gets caught with a golf club: A CHEETAH!
1) My personal favorite (DRUMROLL PLEASE):
The Barack Obama “Cool-As-A-Cucumber” Salad- This dish is dedicated to one of my heroes- the first African-American President of the United States, Barack Obama. This salad is tossed with a spicy, low-fat, red-wine vinaigrette dressing. This salad can stand alone and be just as fulfilling as if it were accompanied by a prime-cut of quality meat. No, it’s not perfect… but it is pretty dang close in my book!
It has been my pleasure participating in this project. I wish each of you a safe, happy, prosperous new year! Hopefully I’ll see ya around and we can “chew the fat!”
- Ricky
A week or so before the culmination of finals this semester, a friend of mine sent me a text asking if I’d like to join her and her friends at a neat little Mediterranean restaurant in Federal Hill. She told me that it was safe for a vegetarian and that the food was really great so I took her up on the offer. We ventured to Baba’s Mediterranean Kitchen located at 745 E. Fort Avenue. Located on a quaint street corner, Baba’s is a very cozy place with a lot of character. The hand drawn menus and the hospitable owners and chefs really distinguish it from other eateries of the sort.
But let’s not forget about the food! I really love going to eat at places where I get to choose a dish that allows me to sample a variety of different foods. This is what this place is great for; there are so many different combination platters so you can easily pair up pita pockets filled with meat or delicious falafel with hummus, dolmas (mmm, my favorite!), spanokopita, salads, or Baba’s special “Pit(z)as.” They also serve their own coffee brew, which is very distinct but delightfully good, and their own desserts, including baklava.
Growing up in a Greek family, I can definitely vouch for the authenticity of Baba’s. And if you’re new to this type of food or just can’t make up your mind, the staff will be more than happy to help you! P.S. – bring a new friend to try Baba’s and get an order of free hummus!
Clearly, campus isn’t up to speed with all of the changes that meat-free and vegan students wish to see, but don’t get down! Help join in to improve food services and options available to students on campus and use it as an excuse to explore the diversity of Baltimore!
- Stefanie
Say hello to Sana Waheed ‘11, a new blogger to UMBC Eats who will cover healthy living. Sana grew up in an Indian household where food was always a major part of her life. She’s now figuring out that moderation is the key to a healthy life. In addition to writing her own food blog, Sana also teaches fitness classes at the RAC. You can check out Sana’s full bio here, along with the other UMBC Eats bloggers’ bios.
