The Map Seeker » food

The Charm of the City of Baltimore

David — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:12:57 +0000

The Inner Harbor of Baltimore has been one of the United States’ major trading ports since the 18th Century. During the 1970’s it also started to become a cultural hub for the Baltimore fine restaurant and service industry, art museums and galleries, and venues for entertainment and activity such as the center, Harborplace, and the Baltimore National Aquarium. There is an observation deck at the top of the World Trade Center, which provides breathtaking views and stunning opportunities for panoramic photos of the entire area. Down on the ground floor of the Harbor, there are street vendors and performers, it is not necessary to spend a lot of money for dinner and a show on the streets surrounding the harbor. It is for these reasons that the Inner harbor is one of the most visited and most photographed areas of the city. There are many eclectic neighborhoods that surround the Inner Harbor, and in each one you will find a variety of cultural and fine dining experiences and a plethora of places to go to experience a bit of the nightlife of Baltimore all within walking distance.

The trading and seafaring communities have a played a role not only in the history of Maryland, but in the history of the United States on the whole. The American revolution was staged when the merchants of the city became outraged by the taxes the British were trying to impose upon them, which resulted in a trade agreement in which all the merchants signed, agreeing to not trade with Great Britain. The merchants and the trade industry still flourished world wide. During both world wars, the city became one of the leading ship builders in the country. The years following the Great Depression caused Baltimore quite a bit of suffering, but urban renewal and revitalization that began in the late 1970’s, and continues to this day, has made Baltimore into one of the most livable city’s in the country. It is hip and traditional, funky and classical. It is everything about culture, about business, about ethnic groups and ideas, all rolled into one.

The Charm of the City of Baltimore is a post from: The Map Seeker

Phoenix-Mex

David — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:31:05 +0000

Spending time in Phoenix is a very fortunate thing. If you can avoid the hot months, it’s some of the most fantastic weather in the world. The days are warm, and the nights are cool, and it’s usually dry, offering splendid views of the sunset over the mountains. The local culture is a fascinating blend of nationalities and backgrounds, and there are many subcultures here. Like in any big city, there’s something for everyone, and there are many different extremes. It’s possible to find something interesting to do most any night of the year, and even when it’s slow, it’s easy enough to take off for a day trip in any direction and find some splendid little ghost towns, lakes, forests, and mountains. It’s a great place to come to relax, and in Phoenix, luxury hotels have their craft down to an art form

You’ll be treated to really magnificent hospitality, fed by the tradition of taking good care of tourists here, along with the latest fashions of the hospitality industries, which are thriving in Phoenix. It’s come a long way in the past few decades, growing from a small big city in the desert to a thriving metropolis where the desert is still visible. There are some spectacular things to do and to see here, and lots of people opt for golfing, swimming, and spas, and there are some of the loveliest of those in the world here. There is also an incredible number of amazing Mexican restaurants, of course, offering splendid ranges of food, from the dirt cheap to the top shelf in elegance.

One of the local favorites of all of these happens to be some of the cheapest as well. Visitors don’t often believe the advice, but there are some small taco stands on corners in town that serve up the most fantastic taste combinations imaginable. They’re often hard to find, unless you ask someone who has lived here for a few years. One of the best of these is El Norteño, an unassuming little building on a corner in downtown Phoenix. It is hard to miss, and hard to believe it when you see it, but if you watch for a little while, there is a steady stream of cars that park here throughout the day, and it does a pretty brisk business almost every day of the year. It should. The food is not only very cheap, but very tasty. For burritos and a side of rice, this is the best example of Phoenix-Mex there is, and sets the underground standard that others can only hope to follow.

Phoenix-Mex is a post from: The Map Seeker

Lafayette, LA for Marti Gras

David — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:34:31 +0000

Well we were wanting to visit Louisiana at Mardi Gras time and I just could not make the time commitment, a 5 day minimum, and prices they wanted in New Orleans for hotel rooms during Marti Gras. So, being a bargain hunter, I began to search the surrounding cities for hotel rooms at a better rate. Only 2 hours from New Orleans we got ourselves rooms in Layafatte, LA for a lot less money and not having to commit to a room for a for a week.

With our rooms booked at hotels Lafayette we are very excited about the trip. Louisiana is so full of history, beginning as a French territory before the establishment and take over of the area by the United States and then the subsequent Confederate period and Civil War. I have always wanted to go to Louisiana and have never made it to the state. Finally I am going. We will be taking tours of Antebellum mansions and plantations, explore shops and galleries taking time to relax and recharge. Spending our evenings eating fabulous Cajun food and listening to great jazz and blues. Our trip will be filled with great foods, interesting history and great music!

We are thinking of heading into New Orleans for the Marti Gras parade, not sure of the crowds and the traffic we are going to play that one by ear. Once we get to our hotel I will talk with some of the employees and get there take on going into New Orleans for the Marti Gras parade. Perhaps they will know of route less traveled and ways of getting into and out of New Orleans during this huge party.

This will be a fun trip and well deserved. We will not be able to get away all winter so by the time Feb arrives we will be in the mood for a change of scenery and pace.

Lafayette, LA for Marti Gras is a post from: The Map Seeker

Salsa and the Grill

David — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:31:48 +0000

Every meal is a celebration, and every culture has elaborate customs and rituals build around food. There’s something that seems to make the flavor that much better when there’s a sense of importance placed on the meal. It has something to do with a splash of elegance, of flair, and something else that’s hard to pin down. Your outdoor kitchen can be a fantastic step toward making meals into celebrations, and with a built in bbq, things become much easier.

You can save your energy toward making the meaning of the celebration more elegant and charming, because these grills make the food preparation very easy. They are extremely precise, so that you can prepare your food exactly how you and your company likes it. And, after a little bit of experimenting, you will find yourself adding and improvising, and the results will be delightful. There are so many options for what you can do with meats on the grill, and the options become geometrically progressive when you look at marinades and sauces. Fortunately, no one could ever explore every possibility, so it’s just a whole lot of fun to try. Salsas are a fantastic way to add new flavors and tastes to the meal, and there are multiple variations. Salsa is a lot like any basic food, with some basic principles that are sometimes useful, and sometimes more fun to break. The trick here, however, for our purposes, is to remember that the jalapeño is explosively more delicious when it’s a roasted jalapeño.

Cook the peppers on the grill until the skin is blackened, then place in a plastic bag and let them sit. This steams the peppers, and seals in some essential flavor. While they cool, make the rest of the salsa, which is a combination of chopped onions and chopped tomatoes. Add salt to taste, and a little oil and lime juice. That’s the basic idea, and the basic ingredients. When the peppers cool, peel off the skin, remove the seeds and chop the pepper’s flesh and add all this together. Let the whole mixture sit, preferably overnight, so the flavors can marry together. There are multiple variations on this recipe, and you can add garlic, cook the tomatoes, add basic, along with other more esoteric ingredients, like watermelon and mango, and it’s delicious to try to find out what’s the best for you.

Salsa and the Grill is a post from: The Map Seeker

Food in Goa