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I have to say that there is a severe lack of decent pizza in Maryland (there are a lot of chain pizza places, but if you are in Baltimore, I reccomend Iggie's, and Joe Squared.

I won the praise the lord box two years ago, and I took a whole weekend and cooked almost all of it- it was a porkapalooza weekend!

If you swap out the oil in the Trader Joe's mix for a stick of melted butter, it takes it from good cornbread to transcendant cornbread. I love the TJ's cornbread- I make it every other week, just about.

Gelato at Pitango Gelato in Fell's point, If you are going to blue moon, the earlier you go the shorter the wait- I've never had a wait at 8am.

I echo the rec for the Helmand, Marie Louie Bistro in Mt Vernon is also good. Iggies' Pizza in Mt Vernon is good.

Chaps for Pit Beef, if you're into that kind of thing.

I reallly like the food at Sam's Kid in Fell's Point too, but the service there is really, really hit or miss.

I've heard good things about Regi's American Bistro in Federal Hill, but I haven't been there.

I really like the vanilla ones- even more than the chocolate. The Columbia, MD TJ's usually has them.

when i won this box last year, and had a porkapalooza with my family! SO. GOOD.

sitting in a pub on a rainy day in Ireland, a pint of cider, bangers and mash, and talking to strangers.

Filet!

chocolate truffles!

butter on one side, spicy brown mustard on the other, potato bread.

Risotto. standing and stirring.

it's zen in a pan.

For the people interested in an update- I had my Porkapalooza weekend!

This is what I did: www.okinthemeantime.blogspot.com

Thanks for all the great ideas!

I admire your strenght at pitango! that's one of my favorite places in the city- their pistachio and coconut are both awesome.