Daina Savage

The last time I was in Latvia, I made it a goal to eat some of the country’s great mushrooms at as many meals as possible. A wonderful culture of forest foraging abounds, yielding wonderous displays at farmer’s markets of wild berries and assorted mushrooms. My favorite Latvian meal might be thought of more peasant food than haute cuisine, but mushrooms fried with onions and bacon, finished with cream, and served with a variety of the county’s incredible assortment of deeply flavored potatoes, then topped with fresh dill, is my food of choice. In the city of Riga, we shop at the Tirgus market in the old zepplin hangers. Sold by the kilo, we order up scoops of our favorites.

But this summer, I wanted to join the early-rising, basket-carrying foragers, hoping to find some of Latvia’s famous “Black Gold” mushrooms, the baravikas.
Fortunately for me, a new friend, Sandra, is an expert mushroom hunter. She led me through the forest near her home in Saulkrasti.
The woods are so mossy and spongy, with soaring pines. It’s hard to keep your eyes peeled on the ground to hunt for mushrooms when there is such beauty to see all around. And plenty to taste as well, as the forest floor was carpeted with wild blueberry bushes laden with sweet, ripe berries.
But we were on a mushroom hunt, and find some I did, though fortunately Sandra was there to keep me from picking them. It seems I have an eye only for what’s poisonous. Sandra found plenty of edible varieties of gailenites, bekas, and other assorted senites to bring home to cook. After cleaning and peeling them, Sandra likes to boil her harvest with a small onion, assuring me that the onion will turn bluish purple if any of the mushrooms are poisonous. A bit skeptical of this method, I nevertheless trusted Sandra’s eye for fungi and her expertise at the stove.
During my visit, in addition to my favorite mushroom gravy over potatoes, she prepared a mushroom and eggplant ratatouille, and an incredible mushroom stuffed pepper dish.
Not yet a mushroom expert, but now well-schooled in foraging, I was on the hunt for edible delights in the Gaujas National Forest. Hives of busy bees lead me to a cache of wild raspberries, delightfully sweet. Then there were tiny wild strawberries with their fresh complexity of flavors to savor and ripe red currants and blueberries. To round off our foraging, we sucked the honey out of clover flowers and sampled the new, light green “candles” of pine trees.
Foragers by necessity during the war, rather than out of curiousity and pleasure, my family remembers eating these needle tips, as well as nettle soup.
An excited shout from nearby foraging children lead me to the granddaddy of the baravikas. They were harvesting bagfulls of the prized mushroom, which would no doubt fetch a great price at the market.
After they left with their treasure, I searched the area and found an old giant. Too mature and bug-ridden to have for dinner, it was still nice to finally find one myself that wouldn’t kill me.

When faced with a long layover in Sweden, we relished the opportunity to sample the flavor of the country, if only an appetizer. With a bit of pre-planning, we discovered the city offers an all-inclusive museum and tour pass, the Stockhomsortet, allowing visitors to choose from dozens of destinations for one low price. The pass also includes transportation, making it possible to zip from one museum to the next. Also keeping us efficient was the Arlanda Express train, which whisked us from the airport to the city in under 20 minutes. We took advantage of the two for 250 SEK special, but those travelling without a companion can hook up with other singles to get in on the deal. Once we arrived at the train station, we set out for old town, soaking up the charm of the historic buildings, narrow streets, and delightful coffeeshops and cafes. Window shopping all the way, checking out the variety of Swedish horses, trolls and gnomes, we eventually wandered down to the harbor to see the morning’s commuters stepping off the shuttle boats.

We checked out the guards at the Royal Palace, smartly attired in blue and gold, then strolled across more bridges to more harbors in search of a canal tour ferry, the M/S Emelie. Though advertised with hourly departures from Nybroviken for a 25 minute tour to the island of Djurgarden and Hammarby Sjostad, we could see no signs of her. Ready to give up, we were joined by German tourists who had been in search of Emelie for two days. We all decided to use our passes for the trolley instead, heading to Galarparken to the famous Vasa Museum of the world’s only surviving 17th century ship, and to Junibacken, a lovely tribute to children’s book authors. The highlight was the story train tour, open boxes that meandered through elaborate diaoramas of Astrid Lingren tales. An interactive display of Elsa Beskow settings, including the giant orange from the story “The Sun Egg” was a hit with the tons of toddlers climbing and sliding through the land of Woody, Hazel and Little Pip. A quick trolley ride through Stockhom’s version of Fifth Avenue, and we were back at the train station, then back to the airport, with time to spare. Satiated with our sampler, we can’t wait to return for a full course.

Spent the afternoon in daylily heaven. Connoisseur Jim Stauffer played the perfect host, showing off his 130 varieties planted in the front yard of his Kissel Hill home. Subject to extreme conditions, new varieties must pass the macadam test by weathering a winter in a pot on his driveway. The winners can vie for a spot in his garden and eventually proliferate in the gardens of fans when Stauffer offers the best for sale in the summers. He hosts free garden tours during peak bloom times in June and July.
He also ensures visitors don’t leave empty-handed by gifting each with a small division of a premium variety. But those blown away by the breadth and depth of the display often indulge in larger plants, purchasing their favorites.
Stauffer loves them all, but when pressed, settles on a few outstanding in their classes.
Best everblooming double: the golden D.J. James.
Most fragrant: the cream-colored Vanilla Fluff.
Most unusual form: the hot orange Primal Scream.
Best early bloomer: the large, true pink blooms of Selma Rose.
Largest bloom: the 13-inch blossoms of Webster’s Pink Wonder.
Best rebloomer: the near white Porcelain Ruffles.
Most blooms per stem: the yellow The Jury’s Out.
Best late rebloomer: the red Apache War Dance.
Best eye and edge: the lavender and purple Her Purple Eye Liner.
Best variety to make his wife happy: Sue’s favorite orange-red Alabama Jubilee.

Spent the afternoon sampling a preview of gelato flavors from Gelato Di Babbo. Creator Kim Zanni has been pedaling her homemade gelato for several years now, first from a tricycle cart and then on local grocer shelves. But this weekend she debuts her own cafe at 635 South Broad Street in Lititz. On this day’s sampling menu, beyond the traditional hazelnut, were inventive offerings like bubblegum, passion fruit, creamed corn, and no-sugar cantaloupe. Zanni delights in creating custom flavors for clients, adding local handcrafted wines and beers to her flavors. Debuting at the new Lancaster Convention Center, her Shoo Fly Pie gelato, a dark molasses base with bits of butter and brown sugar crumbles, was exclusively created for the venue.

Summers bring light tastes like Honey Lemon Lavender, Blackberry Merlot, and Strawberry and Champagne, as well as the aptly named Sunflower with sunflower kernels in a rich, buttery base. When she opens her Lititz café on July 17, she will introduce her newest flavor, Chocolate Guinness, as well as Strawberry Cheesecake, Caramel Corn, and Chocolate Hazelnut. Although the gelatos are the stars, Zanni’s Italian chef husband will offer traditional pastries and paninis.

On hot summer days, the cool blue of a mop-head hydrangea creates a lush visual respite in the garden. Acid soil turns flowers to blues and purples. A more alkaline composition found in our sweet limestone rich soils yields lavender to rose colored blooms. Although we love the stunning focal points stately oak leaf hydrangeas command in a garden, we’ve fallen for the new re-blooming varieties for their abilities to stay festooned all summer long. We planted plenty of the Endless Summer variety and are delighting in the blooms on the shrub, as well as in fresh flower arrangements. To harvest them for dry arrangements, allow them to begin drying on the shrub first, cutting them once the petals start to fade and feel like paper, then strip the leaves and dry away from sunlight.

Baltimore’s mayor has it right.
The way to explore this charming city is by ditching the car.
Whether you hoof it around the Inner Harbor, museum hop by water taxi, or pedal through the wealth of historic neighborhoods, the way to take in the exuberant mood is by slowing the pace. Here’s a look at what I did.
FRIDAY
Check in to a convenient hotel, like the Hilton Garden Inn in the up-and-coming Harbor East neighborhood, or the first certified “green” hotel, the Fairfield Inn & Suites, opening in July on the former DeGroen’s Brewing Co. site in historic Jonestown.
Start with a brisk bike ride with the city’s top ambassador. Mayor Sheila Dixon leads a twice-a-week ride along green spaces like the Gwynns Falls Trail. Meet at City Hall at 5 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays. You can rent a bike at Light Street Cycles.
With a workout in, it’s time to dine. With so many amazing restaurants to choose from, why not sample as many as possible in one evening?
Slip on your walking shoes and start with drinks and appetizers at the Lebanese Taverna, where the piping hot pitas, homemade hommos and moussaka are an authentic meal unto themselves.
Travel a few blocks to the sultry Pazo and indulge in the extensive, impressive tapas menu from land and sea.
Difficult as it is to leave this intoxicating den of feasting, push back from the table to save room for dessert. Make it a “healthy” one by wandering over to Fell’s Point for a gelato at Pitango’s. Pitango’s uses milk from Spring Wood Organic Farm in Kinzers.
Come during summer restaurant weeks, July 21-Aug. 9, to save, with many top restaurants serving fixed-price lunch and dinner courses.
SATURDAY
Jump right into your Saturday morning with a leisurely neighborhood bike tour to soak in the neighborhood flavors. Eat your way along an ethnic bakery tour through Little Italy, Fell’s Point, Highlandtown, Greektown and Canton, ending up at the Pagoda at Patterson Park for a spectacular view of the city. Reserve with Ralph Brown, of Monumental Bike Tours, for rich history lessons and encyclopedic knowledge of the immigrant experience along the way.
Make Federal Hill your lunch spot, sampling Bruce Lee’s Wings at the historic Cross Street Market to whet your appetite before settling in at Spoons Coffee Café & Roastery, an eco-leader promoting greener restaurants and foods with a local flavor. Its hearty wraps and organic fair-trade ice tea are filling and fabulous.
Head for the Inner Harbor and start at the top, taking the elevator to the Top of the World Observation Level of the pentagonal World Trade Center. Tall ships turn to bathtub boats, and tourist-filled paddleboats are reduced to tiny specks along the sparkling harbor. Turn north and it seems you could see all the way back to Lancaster.
With all your choices neatly laid out before you, pick a spot to spend the afternoon. Jellies, a 4-D theater and a new dolphin show at the National Aquarium? The dinosaur invasion at the Maryland Science Center? A tour of Camden Yards? The stunning new Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture? The funky American Visionary Art Museum? Or just motor around on the water taxi for a boat’s eye view.
If you’ve explored to your heart’s content on foot, bike and boat, pick up your car and head to the historic renovation of Clipper Mill for an unforgettable meal at Woodberry Kitchen. Focused on local foods, the meals are innovative and fresh. Reservations are strongly recommended for this dining hot spot.
Save room for brunch at the sassy Miss Shirley’s for Southern-style sweets or the eclectic Ze Mean Bean Café and Wine Bar for an amazing Crab Benedict.
Spend the day steeped in history and culture in the lovely neighborhood of Mount Vernon, centered around the nation’s first monument to George Washington and surrounded by picturesque parks.
Stock up on fresh produce and treats at the Sunday Farmers Market. At noon you can tour (for free) America’s first cathedral, the restored Basilica of the Assumption. Then meander the rest of your afternoon through the (free) Walters Art Museum with the extraordinary exhibit of the Saint John’s Bible, on display through the end of July.
Free admission to the fabulous Baltimore Museum of Art and The Walters Art Museum are temptations enough to travel. But it also won’t cost you a cent to check out the art galleries at Fell’s Point, visit Edgar Allan Poe’s grave to celebrate his 200th birthday, watch bocce ball in Little Italy, play volleyball at Rash Field, or dozens of other freebies.
With a bit of planning, fans of Inner Harbor can explore all the top attractions for one attractive price by reserving a Harbor Pass online.
Don’t miss the Waterfront Invasion of dinosaurs at the Maryland Science Center and jellies at the national Aquarium, coupled with the family-friendly free outdoor movie series featuring classic invasion movies like “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” and “Godzilla.”
Fans of the gloriously unique American Visionary Art Museum can delight in the quirky exhibits for free from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday nights this summer, then catch free flicks like “Dr. Strangelove” and “Ghostbusters” on Federal Hill at dusk.
Free films on Friday nights are a fixture in Little Italy, where a festival atmosphere prevails all evening with live music and plenty of food.

Seeing a great work of art in a museum – inspiring. Seeing the artist in the process of creation – priceless. Art enthusiasts have the opportunity to see the masters at work, thanks to a new central Pennsylvania initiative, stretching from the Susquehanna River to New Hope. The PA Arts Experience promotes this art trail through the region by directing visitors to the numerous museums, galleries, historic inns, bed and breakfasts, scenic, heritage and cultural attractions found along the way. A more extensive concierge service coordinates exclusive studio visits with the region’s wealth of celebrated artists and artisans.
A driving force behind this initiative, Rob Evans, creates stunning, evocative paintings on his family homestead on a Wrightsville mountainside overlooking the Susquehanna. His paintings are like the edges of dreams we’re left with at morning’s light, the half-remembered familiarity, the grasping to make sense of it. Here in his studio, a renovated barn next to his house, it’s easy to see his inspirations. His desk is strewn with turtle shells, birds nests, seashells, animal skulls, and snakeskins. Under glass, a perfectly preserved walking stick fished from his children’s pool. And nearby, the scene itself almost a Rob Evans painting, bookcases and cabinents salvaged from his grandparents estate frame a multi-paned window. In the foreground, a fly buzzes against the warmth of the late morning sun, and in the distance, that view, the tops of the trees framing the breadth of the Susquehanna, the line of the river disappearing into the sky. For connoisseurs, it’s a rare glimpse inside the world of the artist that deepens and enriches the understanding of the work.

Fresh farmers markets are summer’s greatest treat. Just picked flavor meshed with preparation tips from the growers make for memorable meals. We like just hanging out, soaking up the ambiance. Our newest favorite Lancaster spot is Eastern Market along King Street. Part ethnic street festival, artisan market place, and just good fresh food, it’s a great place to spend a Wednesday night or Saturday morning. We took in traditional Ethiopian food and Puerto Rican water ices after a bit of busking beforehand. Loved the sense of community and welcoming spirit. Included the market in my most recent story for Central PA magazine about farmer’s markets in the region.

For a fun sugar fix, our new favorite downtown Lancaster hotspot is Fractured Prune. The cafe boasts breakfast and lunch items, but its drawing card is fresh, piping hot donuts made to order. Mix and match glazes and toppings for a custom creative confection or order off the menu for a tried and true treat. We’re partial to the raspberry-glazed, coconut and chocolate chip-coated Black Forest and the simple, yet stunning O.C. Sand. Yum!
At the corner of Queen and Walnut, it’s easy to pop by for a taste, then take in the fun, funky shops of Uptown Lancaster along the 300 block of North Queen Street. Just be sure to wash your sticky fingers first. Since you’re already experienced in making donuts disappear, hone your skills further at Ziggy’s Magic Shop, with hands-on instruction from a master. Get your retro fix at Zap & Co as well as at Mommalicious & Smilin’ Gal for the coolest vintage fashions and accessories. Zap Home extends that ecclectic mid-century vibe in home furnishings and decor. Like your stuff older? Check out the variety of antique stores or sort through the architectural salvage treasures at Building Character, a coverted warehouse which also hosts art exhibits. And delight in the jeweled confections created by Jude Sharp at j.a. sharp Custom Jeweler.

Then’s there’s nothing wrong with indulging in a few more jeweled treats of your own – hello rainbow sprinkles. After all, with so many varieties, there’s a lot of research to do to find your favorite flavor.

On a rare night to ourselves, we indulged in a downtown Lancaster restaurant that’s been at the top of our must-try list for some time –  Effie Ophelia.

Lauded for the inventive menu of chef/owner Eric Howton, we eagerly anticipated a gastronomical delight. We weren’t disappointed.

Entering the chic bistro along Prince Street’s Gallery Row was a sensual experience.
The rich pumpkin walls, dark woods, flickering candlelight and sumptuous fabrics create an intimate atmosphere. The open kitchen design only heightens the feeling, watching Chef Howton create your dishes. But it’s the menu that’s the real indulgence.
Fresh, thoughtful preparation delighted us in our appetizers and entrees. We had the roasted vegetable caponata, warm chevre fritter and red chili hummus (so sweet and creamy) which remains a signature appetizer for good reason. For our entrees, we chose pan seared trout with lemon and thyme spätzle, scallion and smoked shrimp butter, as well as another signature dish, seared diver scallops with cilantro crisped hominy and pickled pepper pot. Both were outstanding and offered a harmonious symphony of flavors and textures.
The restaurant is a BYOB with a modest $5 corking fee. Although reservations aren’t accepted, you can call ahead to see if a table is available or put your name on the waiting list.
The restaurant also offers a spectacular brunch menu from 10-2 each Sunday through the summer.