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Mansion Jjmmtal WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2006 The Home Journal’s DINNER TABLE Restaurant Report Card More local restaurants get their grades from food inspectors. See 38. Sea to Sea Maryland is the sixth state in our series, “From Sea to Shining Sea.” Read Annapolis resident Audrey Batchelor’s memories of summers on a Maryland tobacco farm, and try some of her favorite recipes. Too many gadgets? Garlic roast ers? Veggie dicers? Micro wave cook ers? MNS columnist Dan MacDonald doesn’t want any more kitchen gadgets that take up space. See 48. ; § SOT ' Next Week Complete with their own wrapping and packed with potassium, bananas are one of the world’s favorite foods. Try our recipes for banana pudding, apricot banana nut bread and bananas flambe, or just grab one on your way out the door for a mid morning snack. H&, JBgp' Jfl| QUAKER Feeling like an old fashioned tightwad? You can save money by stocking upon one of Jean Rea’s favorite staples: oatmeal. Check out her recipes for oat meal cookies with three delicious variations on page 38. Cooking Contest Do your friends and family think you’re the greatest cook ever? You can win some very big prizes with your cooking. See 5B for the contest. . ( /\/r/ty yjash/rs Marshal Mlle chef makes art of line baking WLA T; £ fMßafc ' fl . * „ a| lUtHRsKv y-, ; y* t . y" .[/V s w 4 , BBjfc-, 1 4PI f ■ & «™®jl i®* I ■ *< ~ 41 j| .'-j... . / * ENI/ Gary Hannon Pastry chef and caterer Michelle Allen of Marshallville puts the final touches on a plate of petits fours, tiny frosted cakes which are served at the Front Porch Tea Room in downtown Perry. The recipe is a secret, she says. 1 -A ‘ ‘ iom T ’ ~ ' * '.7 ' *—-*• t * f. * * ~ ~ ** * ENI/ Gary Harmon Allen can count on a helping hand from her mother,Charlene Heidt, who also lives in Marshallville. Infused oils lovely to look at - gnat lor gilts Flavored oils are the new trend in food seasoning. When preparing your next dish, consider using infused oils instead of boring old herbs and spices from store bought shak ers or marinades off the shelf. Use the infused oils to season meat, veg etables, or to put on salads. The bottles of infused oils look Kristy Warren HD] Staff Editor kwarrengevansnewspapers com lovely on kitchen counters and make wonderful gifts. You’ve probably seen fancier bottles of oils for sale in stores as decorations. Now you can Food make them at home. To make herb oils, use whole, fresh leaves and to make spiced oils, use either whole or ground. Begin with light tasteless oils like safflower or canola. According to The Accidental Scientist at www.exploratorium.edu, olive oil makes a good infusion base for some herbs, but tends to go ran cid more quickly than other oils. Keep your infused oils refrigerated. Olive oil will last about a month; other oils will stay fresh for about two months. To get started making your own infused oils, you will need: • 1 cup of a spice like cardamom, cumin, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, See OILS, page $B By CHARLOTTE PERKINS Journal Lifestyle Editor fyouhap g: pen to have * lunch at the m Jr Front Porch Tea Room in downtown Perry, save room for dessert. That’s when you’ll get to try the petits fours that Michelle Allen specializes in, or maybe a slice of one of her cakes. The Marshallville pastry chef and caterer has joined her friends Betty Hotchkiss and Sandra Morgan in their effort to make eating at the tea room cozy, comfortable and, of course, high in calo ries. Well, after all, how could a tea party be proper without at least one fondant frosted sugar cookie? Or maybe two. Allen, a young wife and mother who tried her hand at Chamber of Commerce work and then worked at Massee Lane Gardens before she found her niche right in her own kitchen, uses fresh ingredients and a light touch to turn out her party-perfect b t . desserts, and for the most part, she keeps her pastry recipes a closely guarded secret. However, here are some of her favorite party recipes. Brie Bites with Raspberry Coulis 1 package phyllo dough (or ready-made phyllo cops) Melted butter Brie Raspberry Sauce (See below) Make mini phyllo cups with dough or use ready-made phyllo cups. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Fill each cup with about 1/2 tablespoon of brie. Bake three to five minutes or until brie is melted. Spoon a small amount of raspberry coulis on top of brie. Garnish with parsley if desired. Raspberry Coulis 2 pints fresh raspberries (or 1 12-oz bag frozen) 1 lemon, juiced 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar Crush raspberries. (Do not puree in blender, as the seeds will get crushed in the sauce). See CHEF, page §B SECTION 11 For deco rative bottles, you can add color ful peppers and herbs. Journal/ Kristy Warren