Lancaster County Dutch Market

The Lancaster County Dutch Market in Germantown, Maryland was having a Pig Roast and Chicken BBQ this weekend.  I actually had no idea until I drove up because I was craving one of their freshly baked pretzels.  This is an Amish market that is only open Thursdays through Saturdays.   They sell produce, meat, cheese, baked goods, candy, and furniture.  There is also a restaurant inside this market if you want a sit down meal.   Most people go for their famous fried chicken and soft pretzels because they are that good.  If you go on a Saturday, you will be waiting in line but it moves relatively quickly.   I didn’t get any fried chicken this weekend but I’ve had it before and it really is the best. 

I got a cinnamon and sugar pretzel (my favorite) and a sausage and cooper cheese pretzel.  I have never tried the sausage and cooper cheese pretzel before but the guy in front of me literally bought 5 of them so I thought it has to be good.  And yes it was and I will definitely be getting it again.

 

I also visited their bakery and got a loaf of their Gourmet Apple Bread.  This is like dessert for breakfast, and right up my alley.

I wasn’t going to get anything from the Pig Roast, but I saw the line and thought why not.  I posted a picture from their Pig Roast on my Sophie in the Kitchen Facebook page.  They were selling pulled pork sandwiches with sides of baked beans, coleslaw or fries.  You could also purchase the pulled pork in pints or quarts.   I got a sandwich with a side of coleslaw and they gave such a huge portion!   I had to take half the pulled pork off my sandwich, but I saved it so I can make another sandwich later.  It was delicious, and their sauce was finger licking good.   While I was in line, I noticed that most people were purchasing quarts of the pulled pork.  I guess they want to stock up since the Pig Roast is only done once or twice a year.  I was so lucky I finally got to try their Pig Roast since I’ve heard it about the last couple of years. 

According to their Amish Market Facebook page, they won’t have another Pig Roast until next May 2013!  

Mom's Birthday Dinner

My mom’s birthday was last week and we went out for a family dinner at Wong Gee, a Chinese Restaurant in Wheaton, Maryland.  If you are not familiar with the area, Wheaton and Silver Spring, Maryland has many Chinese restaurants that are “authentic” Chinese.  I tried to get a few pictures but we were all hungry!  Since there was 11 of us altogether at dinner, we had many dishes, including the following:

1. BBQ Meat Platter (Roast Pork, Duck and Chicken)

2. Fish Maw with Crab Meat Soup 

3. Kingdom Pork Chop

4. Sautéed Two Lobsters with Ginger and Scallion

5. Fried Chicken Hong Kong Style

6. Sliced Abalone, Black Mushroom with Vegetable

7. Shrimp with Walnuts

8. Sautéed Flounder Fillet with Vegetable

 

9. Diced Chicken with Salted Fish & Bean Curd in Clay Pot

For dessert, we had a red bean soup and since it was my mom’s birthday, an extra platter of dim sum style buns.   The buns are not normally served at dinner, only during dim sum. One of the chefs is a friend of my parents and he knows how to make these buns, because it is a specialty for a chef to know how to make dim sum dishes.  We had both steamed lotus seed paste buns and baked custard buns.  Most Chinese desserts are not sweet, such as the red bean soup, but I love the custard buns.  They were freshly made and delicious!

I think my mom had a wonderful birthday because she loves spending time with her family and enjoying good Chinese food!

 My mom and I at my brother's wedding this year.