Bobby Flay was in town yesterday (March 9) for another Throwdown show. You may remember that the Food Network cooking star was here not too long ago filming an episode with our local cooking priest Father Leo Patalinghug. This time, we find out that real men do eat quiche.

Here’s senior editor Evan Serpick’s experience at yesterday’s cook-off:

Late last week, Food Network producers asked me to come to Luckie’s Tavern on Tuesday morning for a new show they were filming called Rock n’ Kitchen, about chefs who also play in bands. They said they were doing a segment on Baltimore’s own Rodney Henry, the founder of Federal Hill’s Dangerously Delicious Pies who also plays in his own rockabilly band, the Glenmont Popes. It wasn’t entirely clear what my role would be—especially since my food expertise doesn’t go much further than Pepe’s vs. Papa John’s (totally Pepe’s, btw)—but it seemed to have more to do with my previous job as a music writer at Rolling Stone.

It seemed like an odd concept for a show—are there that many chefs who also play in bands?—but I checked on Luckie’s website, and there was a call for people interested in watching a taping of Rock ‘n Kitchen to come to Luckie’s at 9 on Tuesday morning.

When I got there, the place was filled with about 100 people, many of them heavily tattooed friends or fans of Rodney’s band. Also, there was Bobby Flay—my first clue that something was amiss. With all of the people and the production lights, it was pretty hot, but Flay and Henry were both working away on quiches: Flay’s had broccoli and jalapeños, while Henry’s “cowboy quiche” was filled with potatoes and bacon, among other ingredients, (he called it his “kitchen-sink quiche”).

Finally, slices were passed around, and, I’m sorry to say, it was night and day: Flay’s quiche had a delicious, creamy texture and just the right amount of heat—I could’ve easily downed another slice or two. Rodney’s quiche wasn’t terrible—a bit bland with a more solid texture—but it truly suffered by comparison. To ask the assembled to try our local boy’s fare after giving them a taste of Flay’s masterpiece seemed downright unfair.

I was interviewed briefly about the Flay quiche—luckily, this was before I tried Rodney’s, so I didn’t have to compare them. Then, the crew began setting up for a judging table, including our local food celebrity Cindy Wolf. I was told that they might want to interview me again after the judging, but that it would likely be a while—maybe a couple hours—and at this point, I still wasn’t sure what show they were filming. I don’t watch the Food Network and I’ve never heard of Throwdown with Bobby Flay, but I’ve since learned that it’s a show where Flay faces off with local chefs. The network has since confirmed to me that that’s, in fact, what they were filming. In any case, I was full of quiche and way behind on work, so I left.

I’m not sure why all the subterfuge was necessary, but it was a great boon for Baltimore and for one of our more colorful local chefs.

Maryland gets a shout out in the new Southern Living cookbook Farmers Market Cookbook: A Fresh Look at Local Flavor, which will be released March 16. And mark your calendars now. Two top cookbook authors will be here in May signing books.

The Farmers Market Cookbook is a beautifully photographed book ($29.95) with numerous tips and seasonal recipes (see one below) and a section on local markets around the country. It notes the Baltimore Farmers Market (under the JFX) and Lexington Market among others.

Baltimore native and grill expert Steve Raichlen’s new cookbook Planet Barbecue is scheduled for release May 1. He’ll be signing cookbooks at 7 p.m. May 21 at the Columbia Borders.

Also, foodie Adam Borden, former executive director of Marylanders for Better Beer & Wine Laws, tells me that Joan Nathan will be here May 23 (details to come). Nathan, a DC resident, is regarded as one of today’s prominent Jewish cookbook authors. She’s currently working on a book about Alsatian Jewish cuisine, Adam says.

Here's a recipe from the Farmers Market Cookbook. Now's the time to make it. Broccoli is at its peak from October-April.

Broccoli with Caramelized Garlic and Pine Nuts

1/3 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 pound broccoli florets

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Toast pine nuts in a large skillet over medium heat 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from skillet, and set aside.

Heat butter and oil in same skillet over medium heat until butter melts. Add garlic, and sauté 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned.

Add broccoli, salt, and crushed red pepper. Sauté 8 minutes or until broccoli is tender. Stir in pine nuts before serving. Serves 6.

If you’re missing Il Scalino, the delicatessen offshoot of La Scala Ristorante in Little Italy that closed last summer, all is not lost. La Scala has recently introduced a new salumeria menu, providing patrons with the same wonderful Italian cheeses and imported meats to eat at the restaurant or to take home.

The restaurant has even incorporated one of the old deli cases in its décor, says Lynn Cipollone, La Scala’s marketing coordinator. You can choose from cheeses like taleggio, pecorino Toscano, and grana padano, and meats like prosciutto di Parma, speck, and mortadella. The cost is $4.95 each, three for $12.95, four for $16.95, and five for $20.95.

In the meantime, Max’s Empanadas has moved into the Il Scalino spot on South High Street. Stop by for a taste of Argentina in Little Italy. Don’t miss the traditional coconut-and-dulce-de-leche tart. With a cup of cappuccino, it’s a perfect afternoon treat.

The final category on Jeopardy last night was Food Traditions. See if you know the answer (or question).

I’m paraphrasing because I didn’t write the clue down, but it said essentially: In the 12th century, a church in the English town of Dunmow promised that any married man who had not quarreled with his wife for a year and a day would get to “bring home __”

Cue the Jeopardy music and fill in the blanks. The correct response: What is bring home the bacon?

I think that was an easy one, but I thought it was interesting to find out how the term originated. Of course, the phrase reminds me of the old Enjoli perfume ad:

“I can bring home the bacon,
fry it up in a pan
and never, never, never let you forget your a man.......cause I'm a woman.....Enjoli.”

From the 1100s to 2010, how things have changed. But we still take our bacon very seriously. Now, there’s the bacon-in-dessert trend going on. Although there’s been a backlash against such foods as bacon ice cream and chocolate-covered bacon, I don’t think we’ll be giving up bacon any time soon.

Johnny Dee’s Lounge in Parkville is a welcome antidote to all the trendiness and foodism that goes on in the restaurant world. I went there for the first time on Friday night and loved the throw-back simplicity of it all.

The place was hopping (or as much as it can “hop” with an older crowd). I’m not going to make snide Peppermill jokes, but it has a similar clientele. And everyone was having fun.

The restaurant, which has been around for more than 50 years, is in the back of Loch Ridge shopping center near Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church on Loch Raven Boulevard to give you some placement. (Remember when that area used to be called Baynesville?) The address is 1706 Joan Ave.; phone, 410-665-7000.

Johnny Dee’s is known for its shrimp salad, so I ordered the platter ($11.50), which includes a side. I had the coleslaw (decent, though a little mayonnaisey); my friend, french fries. It also comes with buttered sandwich bread (which reminded me of my grandmother's meals).

The shrimp salad deserves its reputation, featuring fat pieces of shrimp, celery, and minimal mayonnaise to bind it. We sat in the lounge section with vinyl-covered couches and chairs reminiscent of someone’s ’60s rec room and low-slung coffee tables. There is a mirrored dining room in the back and a long stretch of a bar in a connecting room.

The waitresses hustle and have a “hon” element. Our waitress brought us extra fries later because she thought we hadn’t gotten enough originally. Everyone seems to know each other, and a cheerful Johnny Dee (or so I was told) mingles with the diners.

It’s definitely an old Baltimore tradition to enjoy while it’s still around.

I also made another discovery while I was there—Towson Oriental Market, on the Willow Oak side of the shopping center.

I went back the next day to explore the store. It is filled with Asian products, including fresh produce and unusual frozen meats and seafood. There were numerous shoppers on a Saturday afternoon. The staff seemed friendly. It’s nice to add this place to my shopping roster.

Here’s your chance to roll up your sleeves and find out cooking tips from Little Italy's experienced pasta makers. The matriarchs of the community are gathering on Saturday (Feb. 27) to make ravioli for a spaghetti and ravioli dinner to benefit St. Leo Church.

And they’re looking for volunteers. After all, the ladies have to make 12,000 raviolis.

I’m told you can just show up at 9 a.m. Saturday at the St. Leo school hall (910 Stiles St.) to learn from seasoned cooks like 91-year-old Lucy Pompa. The hard-working group also needs help on Saturday, March 6, to make mounds of meatballs, starting at 9, in the church hall.

If you just want to eat the fruits of their labor, the biannual dinner on March 7 (it’s also held in November) costs $10 for adults and $5 for children and includes salad, bread, spaghetti with two meatballs, or ravioli with one meatball. If you don’t have time to sit down in the school hall, you can get carryout for 50 cents extra.

For more information, call the church rectory at 410-675-7275.

Photo by Suat Eman/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Fells Point's newest restaurant is scheduled to open Friday, according to a staff member. Prime Steakhouse (1719 Eastern Ave., 410-534-5650) is located in the space once occupied by TD Lounge, which recently closed.

The new restaurant will serve steaks, seafood, and chops, all under $30, said Tanay Medley, a restaurant office manager. The restaurant will also include a side dish with each entree, unlike most other steakhouses, which charge for extras like vegetables and potatoes, she added. The wine list will feature 30 wines under $30.

Timothy Dean, chef and owner of TD Lounge, is not part of the investor group that owns Prime Steakhouse, but he was a consultant, Tanay said.

Chef Dean is still planning to open a restaurant in National Harbor, the glitzy new shopping/restaurant destination in Prince Georges County, the office manager said. I’m trying to reach him for more details.

Benjamin Erjavec, executive chef at The Oceanaire Seafood Room, is all about helping the environment, and he’s found an interesting way to do his part. He’s saving oyster shells from the restaurant for the Oyster Recovery Partnership, a 15-year-old nonprofit that puts oysters back into the Chesapeake Bay.

Here’s how it works: Once a week, discarded shells are picked up at Oceanaire (and other places around town) by the recovery program. They are washed thoroughly, and then baby oysters, or spat, are placed into the shells and put into the bay.

“It takes about three to five years to achieve a harvestable oyster, but we have to start somewhere.” Ben wrote in an e-mail telling me about his efforts.

He’s determined to make a difference. “In one week, I had 16 (five-gallon) buckets full of shells,” he said. Nice.

Probably a winner. Ale Mary’s in Fells Point decided to meet the needs of its customers by preparing a dinner tomorrow (Feb. 23) to appeal to two groups of imbibers.

“Due to the large demand from both our beer and wine drinkers, we will be hosting a dueling dinner” with wine and beer, chef Mary Rivers said in an e-mail. “The theme of the dinner will be based on the good ole USA.”

The six-course meal features four wines and two beers ($65 a person). The menu includes dueling game confit (rabbit and duck confit), sage-and-chevre-stuffed California dates, butter-poached lobster, grilled venison chop, herb-roasted quail and bison Wellington, and petite Stayman apple pie. Sounds yummy!

“The menu is not our usual fare, instead I try and get a bit creative by introducing people to ingredients that they normally would not try on their own,” Mary said. “I must say, I’m very excited and thrilled with the outcome of this exclusive menu.”

If you go, I’d love to hear about it.

I think it’s interesting that Campbell’s is redesigning its soup labels, pictured left, to increase their visual appeal to consumers. (The current label is pictured on the right.) It has to do with something called “neuromarketing,” according to a posting today on mediabistro.com. I guess our brains do the buying, not our stomachs.

But the new design made me think about Andy Warhol’s famous painting of Campbell’s Soups Cans. At the time, the soup company offered 32 varieties. That was 1962. Now, there are about 250 different kinds. Warhol would have his work cut out for him today for his “15 minutes of fame.”