Source

Though food blogger Amy Langrehr goes by the moniker “Charm City Cook,” it wasn’t until her late 30s that she learned to cook at all. “I grew up the youngest of six,” says Langrehr, “and my dad had multiple sclerosis, so my mom didn’t have time to cook—or to teach me how.” A trip to France, however, piqued her interest. “One of my best friends has a house in Burgundy,” says Langrehr. “Driving from there to the ancient town of Vézelay, we stopped for a three-hour lunch and ate things I’d never eaten before, including cassoulet. We ate so leisurely. It was one of the best meals I’ve ever had—that was a turning point.” These days, the endearing Langrehr has tackled everything from baking her own bread to making her own cheese (“Why do that when you can buy those little logs?” she concluded after her labor-intensive exploits) to joining a CSA. She says: “I went home with chickens on my lap.”

---

Sweet Talk

Recently, Langrehr even left her long-time job as alumni director at Friends School of Baltimore, in part to dedicate more time to her burgeoning brownie business. “I’m not a huge sweets person,” says the Hampden resident, whose brownies are available at Ma Petite Shoe, The Wine Source, and Local Pie, “but every once in a while, I want something sweet.” Her recipe for salted caramel brownies, which uses three kinds of chocolate, handmade caramel, and “at least one egg in every batch from my backyard chickens,” was derived to “make them rich, smooth, and fudgy, but not too sweet.”

Although the breed of a chicken determines the color of its shell, the eggs inside are essentially identical.

---

Treats on Demand

Coming late to the game hasn’t hurt Langrehr any. Among her fans: House of Cards actors Kevin Spacey and Michael Kelly, who raved when Langrehr's neighbor Sean Flanigan—head of the hair department for the Netflix drama—brought her brownies to the Baltimore set last season. Recounts Langrehr: “Michael tweeted that it was the best damn brownie he’s ever had.”

Chick Magnet

Langrehr keeps her four chickens—her "girls," as she calls them—in a coop in her Hampden backyard. Each brownie batch is made with at least one egg from her brood, which includes a Buff Orpington and an Araucana.

Keepin' Up with the Cook

@charmcitycook
charmcitycook.com
blog: charm city cook

Source

In September of last year, V-NO (pictured) opened up in Fells Point. Adding some class and modern chic to the neighborhood, V-NO is very wine-centric with only a couple of food items on the menu. They categorize their wine bottles using simple adjectives (juicy, crisp, etc.) and have outside tables situated right on the water. Judging by a recent visit, business is surely booming. All of the outside tables were taken and the bar inside was pretty crowded, as well.

But now the latest to join the pack is 13.5% Wine Bar on the Avenue in Hampden. Located two storefronts down from Golden West Cafe, 13.5% will be owned by Wayne Laing, former owner of The Wine Underground. The shop should open within the week or so, and it will have a trendy bar and lounge area with a store to purchase bottles. Laing said glasses will be about $6 to $7 and the bar will also serve tapas.

It’s hard to imagine such an upscale-feeling place situated in the blue collar hub that is Hampden. Yeah, there are trendy boutiques and bistro-style restaurants. But, a wine bar/lounge? That’s really kicking it up a notch. “I feel as though I’m going to change the environment,” Laing told the Baltimore Messenger. “My philosophy is, if you build it, they will come.”

My guess is they definitely will. Hampden obviously already has a market for wine-savvy customers, as evidenced by The Wine Source‘s ever-popular tasting events. Plus, 13.5% will be in such a prominent location that the Avenue’s newest addition will be hard to ignore.

Source