At long last, Roma Sausage, Baltimore's best Italian sausage, has made it to the meat cases at Giant. This was confirmed by Dean Paciocco, the owner of the sausage-maker. "I am pleased to inform you that Roma Sausage is now in all 181 local Giant stores and I feel that your columns have been very helpful with that development." OK, well, I can't take too much credit for this. Maybe consumers figured out that the so-called Italian sausage Giant has been selling (Johnsville? Are you kidding me?) was not so great. Maybe Giant execs are taking the buy-local thing seriously and, if so, good for them.

The growth for Roma means the sausage-maker had to move out of the little Highlandtown corner rowhouse it occupied for decades. The company moved to a new space in the old Crosse and Blackwell building at 6801 Eastern Avenue.

Paciocco sent me an e-mail boasting about Roma's Chesapeake sausage. "We are combining Phillips Seafood seasoning along with my own blend of spices and making a signature sausage exclusively for Giant and calling it Chesapeake sausage with both company logos on the product."

I sampled this recently and . . . well, let's just say I won't make that mistake again. (It's just not my thing.) I'll settle for what Roma does best -- Italian sweet or mild, browned in a little olive oil, then left in a simmering tomato sauce for about two days and served with linguini. Buona fortuna!

Posted by Dan Rodricks at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Followup on today's column on the gay alumni of the U.S. Naval Academy:

Similar organizations for alumni of both the Air Force Academy and West Point have formed since USNAOut started up in 2003. The Air Force has Blue Alliance, and the U.S. Military Academy now has KnightsOut. The co-founder of KnightsOut, an Iraq veteran from New York named Dan Choi, was recently recommended for discharge after outing himself.

Posted by Dan Rodricks at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Three-For-All Salmon for the Fourth

For Independence Day 2008, I accidentally created what I think is a new poached salmon recipe and want to share this with you. My guests raved about it -- and, really, I had no idea the results would be so good.

You need a long, rectangular stainless steel pan, like the chafing trays professional caterers use. (You don't need the whole set-up -- just one of the trays.) I have picked these trays up over the years from restaurant-supply stores. They come in varying depths. The one I used was about three inches deep. The tray needs to be long enough to handle a large salmon filet. You can probably double-up aluminum foil pans, like those used for roasting turkeys, but they may not be long enough for this recipe.

Purchase three skinless salmon filets -- nice, big ones, about 16 to 18 inches long. You're going to invest about $45 to $55 in salmon for this dish, but it will serve plenty of guests, and this will still be more affordable than any other seafood dish you might serve at a party.

Slice a bunch of celery on a sharp diagonal line, as thin as possible, and lay this as the bed in the steaming tray.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place one of the filets on this bed of celery.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Slice four fresh carrots on a sharp diagonal, also thin. Lay them evenly atop the filet.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Place the second filet on top of the carrots.

Slice one large cucumber into thin, diagonal pieces. Lay them evenly atop the filet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Place the third filet atop the cucumbers.

You have now stacked three filets. They are going to steam together and adhere to each other.

Into the pan pour about two cups of dry white wine and two cups of water. Do not cover the salmon completely with the liquid. Sprinkle in some bay leaves, some dill spice and some mustard seed. Throw in a sprig of rosemary.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and slide the pan into the oven, reducing the temperature to 375 F.

I think my three-story salmon steamed in 30 minutes. Use a thumb test to see if the top filet has firmed up. Overcooking is always a concern. But I think, since this dish is based on oven-steaming, you have less chance of that goof-up. Your kitchen will smell much better than it does when you try to pan-fry or broil salmon indoors.

I thought I would remove each filet and serve them separately. But I discovered that the salmon filets became one during the cooking. I left it alone to cool, then covered it with plastic wrap and placed the pan in the refrigerator overnight.

But first . . . before putting the poached salmon in the 'fridge . . . .

Drain all but a few drops of the grand-smelling liquid out of the pan and into a pot. Strain out the spice, bay leaves and seed. Reduce the broth for about an hour over low heat. Let that cool and use it the next day as a base for a sauce vert. The sauce vert can be made in a blender with the cold reduction, a skinned and chopped cucumber, some watercress, dill and parsley, and mixed with some mayonnaise to the consistency of a creamy salad dressing.

This topping was served cold along with the chilled salmon, which appeared to one guest to be the "largest, fattest salmon filet I've ever seen." It was actually, of course, a three-in-one, with some surprising mild crunch (carrots and cukes) between the slices. Use a very sharp (and wet) knife to cut slender (one- to one-and-a-half-inch wide) pieces for your guests. Each stack should hold together nicely (sans tooth picks) and taste delicious with the sauce verte.

Bon appetite.

Posted by Dan Rodricks at 8:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

So, here's the deal, kids. If you want to organize a pickup baseball game in your neighborhood, or at a rec field nearby, or if you are looking for players for a Sunday softball game or even a Wiffle Ball game, tell me about it -- give me the when, where and what time -- and try to give at least 24 hours' notice. I'll list it here and send it out on a new Twitter account called PickupBaseball. The story Greg Dunn tells in a recent column got me to this modest effort at promoting informal, just-show-up baseball the way we used to play it back in the day, and the way it was played before everything had to be so formal and organized, and before kids went indoors to enjoy the A/C and the video games, before we all got busy doing other things. . . . I guarantee there are kids in your neighborhood (maybe even your own children!) just itching for a game, especially this summer, after school lets out and the rec leagues are finished, and the spring rains stop and the fields dry out. . . .  Then again, maybe not. Maybe pickup baseball is dead. Or maybe you can pull this off without me and Twitter . . . If so, go.

PickupBaseball on Twitter

Posted by Dan Rodricks at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

TODAY ON THE RADIO: 88.1 FM   WYPR   WYPO  WYPF  

1:00-2:00 pm Eastern: British author Alex Kershaw tells a harrowing story this hour --  how a handful of crew members, including one from Baltimore, survived the sinking of the U.S. Navy sub Tang in 1944. After sinking Japanese cargo ships while on patrol in the Pacific, the Tang's last torpedo boomeranged and sent the sub to the ocean floor. What happened next is chronicled in Kershaw's excellent narative, Escape From the Deep. Hear him tell the story during this hour of Midday. 
 

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Comments or questions:  midday@wypr.org

Posted by Dan Rodricks at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

After Wednesday's column on Gary Gebler's Trax on Wax record store in Catonsville, I received a bunch of inquiries from readers looking to sell albums, buy them or have their private collections appraised. This one arrived from Columbus, Ga.: "I have over 1,600 vinyl albums, mostly rhythm and blues.  I am interested in selling them in a bulk order.  They have been cared for very well." I'm sure there have been bigger collections, but I can't imagine owning 1,600 of anything at any one time except maybe pennies in an old Utz tin.

Posted by Dan Rodricks at 8:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Here's what they tell us to expect from this year's Fourth of July parade in Catonsville:

• An "authentic look-alike" of the Lone Ranger and Silver. Hi-oh! "His Ranger suit, black mask, silver bullets, cowboy hat and black/silver holster complete with real silver six-shooters have all been custom-made. The saddle is a true Western silver saddle from the cowboy era. Estimated time on parade route: 3:15 p.m.  Montrose Avenue at Frederick Road.
• Holy hog lips, a hot dog-eating contest! We haven't seen one of these since Polock Johnny days on The Block. This local revival of American grotesque takes place at Duesenberg’s Café and Grill. A dozen contestants will vie for “Catonsville’s Biggest Weiner” trophy. Contest will be held at 10 Mellor Avenue at 1:30 p.m.
• Local girl makes good: Peggy Bailey, a waitress at Jennings Café, has been named Baltimore's Best Waitress by Zagat. "Peggy, dressed in a elegant July 4th gown, will be taking her annual ride down Frederick Road.  It is a Catonsville tradition for her regular customers to call out their orders as she glides by."
• Word to the wise: If you haven't put a folding chair on Frederick Road yet, better get one out there today if you want to see the parade from a seated position.

Posted by Dan Rodricks at 7:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

TODAY ON THE RADIO: 88.1 FM   WYPR   WYPO  WYPF  

12:00-1:00 pm Eastern:  Whatever happened to free time? Whatever happened to privacy? A look at how technology and free markets have transformed American life with Dalton Conley, noted sociologist and author of Elsewhere, U.S.A.: How We Got from the Company Man, Family Dinners, and the Affluent Society to the Home Office, Blackberry Moms, and Economic Anxiety.  

1:00-2:00 pm Eastern: Alex Kershaw tells a harrowing story this hour --  how a handful of crew members, including one from Baltimore, survived the sinking of the U.S. Navy sub Tang in 1944. After sinking Japanese cargo ships while on patrol in the Pacific, the Tang's last torpedo boomeranged and sent the sub to the ocean floor. What happened next is chronicled in Kershaw's excellent narative, Escape From the Deep. 

LISTEN LIVE   FACEBOOK     

MIDDAYRODRICKS TWITTER       

Comments or questions:  midday@wypr.org

Posted by Dan Rodricks at 5:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The teenager daughter is always telling me: Don't be so pessimistic about the Orioles, don't give up when they fall behind. This is her mantra. She's a kid, of course, enthralled with all the young, cool, talented guys on the Orioles roster. What does she know?

We know, as long-suffering Orioles fans, that our teams over the years have had many nice parts but not enough of them -- mediocre sums -- and nothing to show in the last decade but a long streak of losing seasons.

These days, there's a lot to admire about the O's -- they have the young guns, they have the legs, they have the D. They don't have all the pitching they need, but there's promise here and there.

So anyway, last night: Where were you when the Orioles made their biggest comeback in franchise history?

I got so bummed out by the fourth inning -- so sick of all this Red Sox Nation stuff (obnoxious people who latched on during this winning era, despite having no connection to Boston or New England), and losing to the Sox -- that we went shopping. The daughter needs batting gloves, and she's looking for a new (or used) left-handed softball glove. (If you have one you're thinking of putting on craig's list, call me first: 410-332-6166).

"Don't give up, dad," the daughter says. "You're too negative." At the time the Orioles were losing 6-1. By the time we got back from the sporting goods store and the supermarket, there was a rain delay. I was tempted to just go to bed. The game resumed and the Red Sox had extended their lead to 10-1. Which is when the comeback started, though I still didn't believe the Os would finish with a win. It ended up amazing -- the most amazing thing we've ever seen in sports around here in a long time -- and we stayed up to watch. How could we not? The young guns scored runs with timely hits, and the Orioles sent a closer to the mound in the 9th to do the job, and the game ended a few minutes before midnight. I think we'll remember this night for as long as we live.

Posted by Dan Rodricks at 6:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

As The Post reported Sunday, Martin O'Malley's reluctance to use his executive powers of clemency -- and, I would add, his overall lack of interest in aggressive corrections reform -- puts him out of step with governors facing overcrowded prisons and budget shortfalls. Here's more from reporter John Wagner's piece in the Sunday Post:

In Maryland, applicants for pardons must be crime-free for at least five years after they serve their sentences, including probation. Pardons can open doors for past offenders, including eligibility for jobs they would not otherwise be considered for.

"These are people who have been out many years, and they're looking for forgiveness," said Margaret Colgate Love, a Washington-based lawyer who specializes in executive clemency cases across the country. "I think withholding this sort of official forgiveness is not sensible, and it's not safe."

Love said O'Malley's stance is also out of step with a growing number of governors, including Ehrlich, Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) and Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential aspirant who came to realize the benefits of clemency despite apparent political risks.

In Virginia, Kaine has accelerated the practice of restoring former felons' rights to vote and serve on juries, one of several types of executive clemency stepped up by his predecessor, Mark Warner (D), now a U.S. senator.

Kaine, who is in the final year of his term, granted 3,148 restorations as of June 12, eclipsing the pace of Warner, who granted 3,486 during his four years as governor.

The state's previous two governors, Republicans James S. Gilmore III and George Allen, granted 238 and 460, respectively. 

In the Maryland prison system, there are some modest initiatives to bring "treatment behind the walls" and to offer vocational training to inmates. But we still don't see -- under the allegedly liberal Democrat O'Malley -- the kind of big-shift cultural reform that would give more inmates more opportunities to leave prison sooner, find a job and become productive members of society. "Corrections" has been lost from corrections for a long time, if it ever existed to any significant degree at all. 

While the Maryland prison system lacks progressive reforms that might reduce the rolls of the incarcerated, supporting a true prison construction moratorium here one day, Montgomery County has been doing its part to reduce the risk of recidivist with a nationally-recognized prerelease program. I wrote a recent column on the Manhattan Institute's findings regarding the successful pre-release (read that, re-entry) program in Montgomery County. Here are more interesting excerpts from the report, descriptions of how the program works and commentary of the author, Anne Piehl:

In 2007, 736 screening interviews were conducted, and 591 inmates entered the (Montgomery County) PRC program. That is, over 80 percent who were judged eligible participated. Very few eligible individuals refused to participate.

Some 90 percent of program participants are male, and most are between the ages of eighteen and forty-five. About 40 percent of those enrolled are serving time for a drug or an alcohol offense; another 20 percent for violations of probation; and another 20 percent for property offenses. Violent offenders are not excluded from participation: personal and sex offenses account for 20 percent of PRC participants.

It is worth noting that companies with local hiring authority are more likely to hire PRC participants. When hiring decisions are reviewed by corporate parents, PRC inmates are routinely rejected. Caseworkers assist in the job search by pointing participants to companies that appear to be good targets, in view of the experiences of earlier applicants.

No bartending or cab-driving is allowed, for example. As a practical matter, retail and other jobs are frequently off-limits to those with criminal records for theft. This makes it particularly hard for women to find jobs. Collectively, these restrictions inordinately burden the low-wage labor market.

Mandatory savings are another deduction, so inmates accumulate savings balances by having a portion of their paychecks set aside. The hope is that they will use this money to secure an apartment or transportation when they are released and thus help support a productive civilian life.

The program’s economic value extends beyond the county corrections department. Taxes, restitution, family support, and payments to state and federal corrections sum to approximately $1.5 million, far more than the inmates keep for themselves.

Inmates' median wage is almost $10 per hour, in an area of the country with one of the highest costs of living. About 10 percent of placements end badly—either with dismissal by the employer or removal by concerned staff. Despite inmates' poor job skills and limited work histories, 86 percent are employed at the time of release from correctional custody. At the time of release, the average job tenure is fifty-eight days, or approximately three months of work. There is little information about how people fare after they leave correctional custody. The only follow-up information is collected from calls to employers two months after the inmate is released from the PRC. At that time, 54 percent are still with the same employer.

Posted by Dan Rodricks at 8:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)