Dishes

WILLIAMSPORT - Nonie Johnson, 74, loves eating fresh foods. Even when she and her husband of 54 years, Roger, moved from Martinsburg, W.Va., to Homewood at Williamsport, it was hard to give up their garden. But at the retirement community, Johnson still has a little patch of land to cultivate. "It's near the creek," she said. "We try to go there every day. " That's where she picked the zucchini she used for two dishes -zucchini pie and zucchini dessert. Although, she admits that this dry, hot summer limited the number of squash she was able to grow.

SMITHSBURG - Collette Rooney stood over her granite kitchen countertop chopping shallots for a homemade, creamy tomato tarragon sauce and insisted that she isn't a good cook. "I'm just your average housewife cook," said Rooney, a 43-year-old stay-at-home mother of two. Then she presented sundried tomato and basil spread, with bruchetta and roasted garlic she made earlier that day. Then she mentioned that she cooked every day except for dinner on weekends. And she grows her own herbs, tomatoes and peppers - though, no eggplant this year, she said.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- Whether it has been history, myth or legend, the tales of Vlad III the Impaler and his bloody reign have been part of Katherine Walsh Ryan's life. Ryan can trace her roots to Romania, the same homeland of Vlad III the Impaler, or whom Bram Stoker has forever dubbed Count Dracula. Ryan's grandparents were from Transylvania, and her mother was born in the same citadel as Vlad III the Impaler "They were born 500 years apart," Ryan says of Dracula and her mother.

Editor's note: This is part of an occasional series of profiles of local restaurant chefs. Jay Zuspan III is living a dream. At 28, he's opened his own restaurant - 28 South in downtown Hagerstown - and he's cooking foods the way he wants to. "My style of cooking is really trying to fuse the old-school, traditional dishes with the modern cooking," he said. "I use fresh ingredients, but I leave things rustic. A lot of chefs will puree their sauces and (strain) them through a chinoise.

Using their fingers or plastic forks, dozens of people invited to South Hagerstown High School on Wednesday tasted a variety of potential new menu items as the county school system moves toward offering students healthier foods that use fresher ingredients. Most of the items were new, such as a curried chicken wrap and Asian vegetable noodle lettuce wraps, and others were an attempt at a healthier version of existing dishes offered at schools, said Jeff Proulx, supervisor of Food and Nutrition Services for Washington County Public Schools.

Hagerstown Community College's Center for Continuing Education is presenting two courses that might appeal to the holiday baker. "Sweets 'n' Treats" will be offered Thursday, Nov. 17 and Tuesday, Dec. 6, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Cindy's Sweets and Supplies, 10226 Governor Lane Blvd., Williamsport. The class will teach students how to create beautiful, yet quick, candies, cookies and desserts. Th cost is $35. "French Bistro" will be offered Tuesday, Dec. 6, from 6 to 9 p.m. in the HCC Career Programs Building.

ROUZERVILLE, PA. - Robert Curley laughed when mentioning he was "stuffed" on Thursday, a day when employees were practicing dishes from the menu of his new restaurant. They served up plates of burgers, wings and pork chops in Rolling Mill Tavern, which is scheduled to open Wednesday. The establishment, in the Pa. 16 building once called Chestnut Logs, has seating for 100 in the front, nonsmoking section. The area in the back continues to be renovated and will be opened later.

When selecting ethnic fare, be kind to your heart Americans like to eat out. And we do, often four to five times a week on average. We also like to try different restaurants and ethnic cuisine. Can we be adventuresome and maintain a heart-healthy diet? Yes, if we understand food names and preparation techniques. continued Here are a few tips for choosing ethnic foods that are low in fat and calories. Chinese Boiled, steamed or lightly stir-fried seafood, chicken, vegetable or bean curd dishes are generally low-fat fare.

BOONSBORO -- Guests knew they were in for a savory feast before they even walked in the door at a free community Thanksgiving dinner served by Boonsboro Bible Church on Thursday. Outside the church, volunteers were busy deep frying turkeys in peanut oil. Just inside the door, a menu written on a white board provided even more to get guests' mouths watering: ham, chicken, stuffing, three potato dishes, five types of vegetables and eight different desserts. All the food was prepared by volunteers as part of a church tradition that was started five years ago by Chris Noyes and his wife, Crista.

Not only did the Voltaggio brothers manage to win the Restaurant Wars challenge on "Top Chef: Las Vegas" Wednesday night, but judge Tom Colicchio called the team win "the best restaurant in six years" of doing restaurant wars. The Frederick-brother team of Bryan Voltaggio, 33, of Urbana, Md., who is chef and partner of Volt Restaurant in downtown Frederick, Md., and Michaeal Voltaggio, who is chef de cuisine at The Dining Room, Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa in Los Angeles, called their restaurant Revolt.

Looking for a tasty dish that's easy, full of flavor and great for the family? I give you Sicilian baked pasta gratin. The best part of this recipe? You can make it ahead two days before and keep it in the refrigerator before baking. Scott C. Anderson is associate food service director and chef with Shepherd University dining services in Sheph-erdstown, W.Va., and Chef Ambassador to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Sicilian baked pasta gratin 3 tablespoon olive oil 2 peppers, red and yellow cut inch strips 1 onion, sliced 2 cloves, minced garlic Red pepper flakes to taste 1 to 2 pound can whole plum tomatoes, drained 12 Calamata olives, pitted 1/4 cup capers, rinsed 1/4 cup fresh basil 3 tablespoons olive oil Salt and black pepper 1 pound thin spaghetti 1 cup grated Romano cheese Preheat oven to 400 degrees In a 12-inch saute pan heat oil. Add peppers and onions and cook till tender.

Editor's note: This is part of an occasional series of profiles of local restaurant chefs. Jay Zuspan III is living a dream. At 28, he's opened his own restaurant - 28 South in downtown Hagerstown - and he's cooking foods the way he wants to. "My style of cooking is really trying to fuse the old-school, traditional dishes with the modern cooking," he said. "I use fresh ingredients, but I leave things rustic. A lot of chefs will puree their sauces and (strain) them through a chinoise.

With the onset of spring comes fresh, new ingredients as the ground awakens from winter and gets ready for the summer harvest.  By incorporating skim milk, chicken base (found in 1 pound tub of concentrated chicken in powder or solid form) and cornstarch you cut back on the amount of fat in the dish but keep the flavor. You can substitute chicken bouillon if you do not have any chicken base, but read the ingredients and make sure the first ingredient listed is chicken, not fat, sugar or salt.

This recipe is perfect for those times when you need a delicious dinner that doesn't require hours of preparation or cooking.  It's low in fat and calories and high in flavor, because I've substituted skim milk and cornstarch for heavy cream. You can always add more garlic if you desire, as well as additional fresh herbs such as oregano or thyme. I like crushed red pepper for an added bite, but you can choose to leave it off or go with freshly diced jalapeño or serrano peppers.

I love seafood, mostly any seafood. However, mussels are the most enjoyable seafood in my family. My family enjoys mussels steamed, grilled and usually with lots of butter to dip.  This recipe is a very easy recipe to follow and one that is loaded with tons of flavor. Make sure to purchase fresh mussels from a reputable location. Also, presoak the mussels in water salted to taste of the ocean for at least 10 minutes. Throw away any mussels that are open and won't close when touched and look for any strands of thread that are hanging from the mussel.

What says romantic better than a nicely grilled steak? I like a freshly grilled steak, pan seared to perfection for my lovely bride of 12 years, going on 13. This recipe is very basic, with the key ingredient being the best quality filet mignon you can purchase. Use twine to wrap around the beef during cooking. That way it stays nice and round. I suggest cooking a baked potato and grilling some fresh asparagus or mixed squash for nice sides to accompany the steak. Scott C. Anderson is associate food service director and chef with Shepherd University.

Beth Johnston has attended all the previous Art of Cooking fundraisers at Fountain Head Country Club. She has enjoyed watching fellow club members prepare a dish on camera and savored the delicious dishes served by the country club's executive chef, Todd Reynolds. Johnston is attending Art of Cooking again this year, but she'll be a little more nervous. She's going to be in front of the video camera. "It will be good they (the audience) are not in the room," Johnston said with a laugh.

Editor's note: This is part of an occasional series of stories on children eating vegetables. The series explores ways to highlight vegetables' flavor and appearance as a way to work around the resistance some kids have to eating vegetables. I've never been a big fan of turnips. Mainly, I just haven't eaten them much. I don't recall my mother serving them when I was a boy in central Ohio. But when Thanksgiving rolled around last week and my wife put me in charge of mashed potatoes, she asked me to try something new: add turnips to the spuds and mash them together.

Editor's note: This is part of an occasional series of profiles of local restaurant chefs. Catrice Davis-Ford loves to cook. She cooks as chef at Vegetarian's Pursuit Cafe south of Hagerstown. And after work, she happily cooks at home for her husband and youngest son. Davis-Ford, a Seventh-day Adventist, cooks strictly vegetarian and also prepares dishes for vegans. For some people, vegetarian food is strange and foreign. But Davis-Ford pointed out that some meatless dishes are pretty familiar.

Meatballs are the cupcakes of the world of meaty main dishes - little bundles of flavor and texture that can be plain or fancy, zesty or bland. And everybody who makes meatballs has a favorite flavor profile - Italian meatballs, barbecued meatballs, Thai meatballs. Luke Fogle, kitchen manager of Mountain Gate Family Restaurant and Catering in Waynesboro, Pa., said his catering customers like his Swedish meatballs. "We blend hamburger and sausage together, and we use our own special sauce," he said.