An incorrect date was given in Sunday's Tidbits column for the Celebrity Dough Raiser for the Children. The event will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 2, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Ledo Pizza Owings Mills, 10027 Reisterstown Rd.
+ The Sun regrets the errors.
In the spirit
There's a whole school of cooking -- Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame is the most noted proponent -- that says first you go to the market, then you decide what to fix for dinner.
It makes for spontaneous and fresh-tasting meals, but what about wine? If you don't have a cellar (or a sommelier), you'll
have to make another stop to pick up a suitable bottle.
Grocery store owner Nancy Cohen Schaffer knows that sometimes you just don't want to make another stop. Her original store, Eddie's of Roland Park, has a liquor department, and you can grab a bottle of chardonnay or pinot noir on your way to the checkout counter. Now her new Eddie's in Towson is getting a companion wine and spirits shop right next door at 6213A N. Charles St.
More than half the shop's 2,350 square feet will be taken up with a "wine wall." Wine manager T. Nelson Carey says, "What I'm trying to do is open a wine store that's reminiscent of stores in New York or fine wine stores in California." He promises "wines you can't find in an ordinary liquor store."
Ms. Schaffer says the Eddie's tradition of upscale merchandise and attentive service will be maintained at the new wine and spirits shop, but she says there will still be plenty of good values. Among other things, Mr. Carey is planning a whole section of wines from around the world that cost $6.99 or less per bottle.
There will also be a wide array of beers and spirits. "We're going to have a little of everything, at competitive prices," says Craig Hutt, the new store's manager, including "the largest selection of beers in the state."
The store opened Friday, after a ceremonial delivery Thursday night, in a chauffeured limo, of a shipment of 1992 Georges DuBoeuf Beaujolais Villages Nouveau -- the very earliest bottles of the 1992 vintage that can be sold. Store hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The phone number is (410) 377-4655.
Ledo Pizza of Owings Mills is celebrating the first of the restaurant's planned family nights from 5:30 to 8:30 Dec. 3 with a benefit called "Celebrity Dough Raiser for the Children." Local sports, radio, TV and other personalities will be serving food, and all their tips will go to buying gifts for children for whom the holidays might otherwise be bleak.
There will also be contests and tickets given away to the new Walt Disney film, "Aladdin." (All 25 Ledo locations in the area will be offering the "Aladdin" promotions.) The Owings Mills Ledo, owned by Michael Meyers, plans to have a toy box with items available to "borrow" for dinner and once a month will feature some kind of entertainment. The restaurant is located at 10027 Reisterstown Road. For more information, call (410) 363-7711.
Bird of a different feather
Say "turkey" and most people think of a big roasted bird with all the trimmings. But in these fat-conscious days, a lot of products once made with higher-fat meats are being made of turkey, with tasty results. There are turkey hot dogs and turkey sausage and turkey "ham," for instance. The National Turkey Federation wants to remind folks with little time to spare over the holidays that these products can make meals in minutes. Here's a sample recipe using turkey kielbasa, or smoked turkey sausage.
Turkey and bow-tie pasta
Serves six.
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
2 cups skim milk
1 cup white wine
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
dash of pepper
1 pound of turkey kielbasa or smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/2 -inch "coin" slices
1 package (10 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained
6 ounces bow-tie pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained
poppy seeds (optional)
In a medium-sized saucepan combine flour and milk. Add wine, Italian seasoning and pepper, stirring until smooth. Cook mixture over medium heat until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Fold in turkey kielbasa, vegetables and pasta; reduce heat to medium-low and cook 5 to 8 minutes, or until heated through.
Sprinkle with poppy seeds, if using, and serve.
This recipe has 366 calories per serving, and 11 grams of fat. It also has 664 milligrams of sodium and 53 milligrams of cholesterol.
It's not too soon to start thinking what sort of treat you're going to serve Santa this year. After a hard night flying through the air, managing a bunch of reindeer, squeezing down chimneys and sorting out toys, the jolly old elf might just be ready for a good, hot cup of java. Just leave him a measure of your favorite gourmet brew and the new Black & Decker One-Cup-at-a-Time drip coffeemaker. It has an automatic shutoff Santa needn't worry once he's on the roof about whether he paused to turn off the coffeepot) and a permanent filter. It also dispenses hot water for tea, hot chocolate and instant soups. The device has a suggested retail price of $21.98, available wherever Black & Decker appliances are sold. Of course, a really clever Santa would bring you the machine and have it ready to brew, so when the kids rise and shine at the crack of Christmas dawn, you'll have something to help you through the morning.
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