Martine Bitchards

Martine lives in Baltimore and does stuff sometimes. She is a canner, homebrewer, and general food enthusiast. She is also the organizer and host of Baltimore Brews and Board Games.

[martinebitchards]

Winners of the super local Hampden Iron Chef: Anne, Laina, me, and Mickey! Secret ingredient: coffee! With 45 minutes to plan, $100 and one hour to shop, and two hours to cook, we made: 1) a skewer of melon and bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with coffee cream cheese and toasted almond, over lemon-dressed arugula. 2) coffee and chili rubbed sirloin in coffee-cherry-chipotle barbecue sauce on a buttermilk biscuit with kale slaw. 3) profiteroles filled with coffee-infused creme patisserie, dipped in dark chocolate ganache and topped with toasted almond, dried cherry and crushed coffee bean crumble.

Photos: Michael Ian Schwartz

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Small Foods 2016! My elotes pequeños were a finalist in both the Golden Toothpick (smallest food, in proportion to the larger version) and Yummo! (tiny and delicious) categories. So close to a win, but the competition was very fierce!

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My jalapeno popper mac and cheese was voted Cheesiest Mac at the 3rd Annual Team Fierce Chicks Rock Mac and Cheese Cookoff! This was a fundraiser for the Ride for the Feast benefiting Moveable Feast. Moveable Feast provides healthy meals to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

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[martinebitchards]

When it comes to Thanksgiving , no matter where I go, I always bring meat-free gravy. Thanksgiving for vegetarians usually means stuffing yourself on all the sides. I actually don't mind that—Thanksgiving sides are dope. But let's be real: Mashed potatoes without gravy are a travesty. And nobody on the face of the planet has ever said, "Oh, I just realized my gravy recipe is accidentally vegetarian!" If you want to drown everything on your plate in gravy, you've gotta fend for yourself.

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Whether it brings to mind Guy Fieri or cocaine trafficking , most people have heard of the longstanding Sip & Bite (2200 Boston St., [410] 675-7077, sipandbite.com ) in Canton. It admittedly has been quite a while since I dined here, so I was a little surprised by how much things have changed. I was expecting the kinda divey, cheap, basic-but-dependable Greek-American diner experience. Instead, I was met with an expanded menu featuring several more "fancy" offerings that seemed specifically aimed at out-of-town visitors who ventured over from the Inner Harbor to experience "the real Baltimore."

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If you've ever gotten a combination platter from Dukem, Tabor, or another Ethiopian restaurant in town, you've probably had ye'abesha gomen. It's a garlicky, gingery, gently spiced dish of collard greens, simmered until unbelievably tender. It might not be the first pile you scoop from with your injera, but it's a delicious way to take a break from the berbere-heavy wats.

[martinebitchards]

Nestled at the end of a little alley near Cross Street Market in Federal Hill, Abbey Burger Bistro (1041 Marshall St, [443] 453-9698) is pretty charming, especially for a sports bar. There are large flat-screen televisions in every direction, but it still manages a homey "old world" pub feel. Its menu showcases, as you might guess from the name, an impressively diverse selection of meats on a build-a-burger checklist—bison, lamb, duck, kangaroo, Kobe beef, and of course regular beef.

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I modeled today for a video for the Baltimore Museum of Art. Hairstyle done by Janet Stephens based on the sculpture Young Girl by Philippe Laurent Roland from the late 18th century. Photos by instagram.com/prairieskygal.

[martinebitchards]

We're so glad that Red Emma's (30 W. North Ave, [443] 602-7611, redemmas.org) moved to its current North Avenue location. The old place wasn't really somewhere that we would consider for a Sunday brunch—it could be a bit of an intimidating space. In their current locale, the high ceilings and tons of natural light make a perfect backdrop for becoming human again after a rough night.

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So, I'm going to be honest. I never actually call this "super-savory party spread" -- I call it vegan pâté.

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my first piece in the print edition -- vegan BBQ review for the BBQ issue

[martinebitchards]

We've heard nothing but good things from critics and friends alike about Lane Harlan's new taqueria and mezcal bar, Clavel (225 W. 23rd St., [301] 848-2849). With its menu not yet available online, we had to go in blind and hope there would be something vegetarian—a taqueria has to be able to make some amalgam of beans and cheese, right?

[martinebitchards]

A lot of pickled tomato recipes call for green tomatoes, because pickling is a great way to preserve the last of your tomatoes that you know won't ripen before the plant is killed by frost. They're also tougher than their ripened sisters, so they stand up a little bit better to heat processing.

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It's hot outside. And I'm tryna figure out how to stay cool aside from spending my entire summer lounging on my sofa with the A/C blasting.

[martinebitchards]

Le Garage (911 W. 36th St., [410] 243-6300, legaragebaltimore.com ), in the old Dogwood Restaurant space on the Avenue, seems a little ominous as you descend the long ramp into the bowels of the dining room. But once you get down there, it's actually very homey. There's a bar area with a few scattered high-top tables and the main dining room. Some of the booths are so dimly lit that we saw people using their smartphones as ersatz flashlights to read their menus, but that's what makes it cozy, right?

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Duel of the Donuts 1st Place winner, with donuts stuffed with Thai-incense smoked cream cheese, topped with coconut glaze and chocolate graham crumbs