Midday

It’s the What Ya' Got Cookin'? Thanksgiving edition, a beloved tradition here on Midday, going all the way back to 2016. Tom talks with John Shields, owner of Gertrude's at the Baltimore Museum of Art and Damian Mosely of Blacksauce Kitchen.

The two chefs talk with Tom and the Midday callers about cooking tips and food faux pas for folks preparing tomorrow's big meal.

We also get a special check-in from Tom's mom, Rosemary Hall.

Jo-Jo’s Curried Crab Dip (Gertrude's Recipe)

Ingredients (8 servings):

1/2 cup of Dried currants

1 lb of Cream cheese

2 tbsp of Madras Curry Powder

2 tbsp of Mayonnaise

1/3 cup of Coconut Milk

1/3 cup of Minced green onions or chives

1/3 cup of finely diced Red bell pepper

1 lb of Lump or Claw Crab meat

1 pack of Melba rounds, Water crackers or Ginger snaps.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a small bowl place the currants and just enough water to cover. Let stand for 15 minutes. Drain, but reserve 2 tablespoons of liquid, and put the currants aside. 
• In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, curry powder, mayonnaise, coconut milk, green onion, and red bell pepper. Beat until smooth and somewhat creamy.
• Mix in the crabmeat, currants, and 2 tablespoons of the reserved currant liquid. 
• Transfer the mixture to a greased casserole dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Serve hot or warm with Melba rounds, Water crackers, or Ginger snaps.

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie (Gertrude's Recipe)

Ingredients (1-9 Inch Pie):

1 Pie Crust

3 Eggs

1/2 cup of Sugar

1/2 cup of Brown sugar

1 cup of Karo syrup

2 tsp of Vanilla extract

1/2 cup of Melted butter

2 tsp of Flour

2 oz of Unsweetened chocolate, melted

1 1/2 oz of Semi-sweetened chocolate, melted

1/4 cup of Locally distilled bourbon

1 1/2 cup of Pecan pieces (per pie)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cream eggs and sugar together.
• Stir in the Karo syrup, vanilla, butter, and flour, Mix well. Add chocolate and bourbon.
• Spread pecan pieces around the bottom of each pie crust.
• Pour in filling and gently mix into the nuts.
• Bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until puffy and set.
• Cool and serve.

Rosemary Hall's Fresh Cranberry Relish

Tom’s Mom makes this delicious cranberry concoction, which Tom and his Mom first learned from James Porterfield, a friend in Ithaca, NY.

Ingredients:

1lb Cranberries

1/2 cup of White granulated sugar

(Tom uses 1/4 of a cup)

1/2 cup of Firmly packed brown sugar

(Tom uses 1/4 of a cup)

1 cup of water

Directions:

• Grab a pot and bring the cranberries and sugar to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
• When cool, mix in:
  • 2 tbsp of Horseradish
  • 2 tbsp of Dijon mustard
• Serve over Cream cheese as an Appetizer, or eat it as a side with Turkey, Chicken, or Pork.

Sweet Potato Biscuits (Blacksauce Recipe)

Ingredients:

4.75 lbs of All-purpose flour

7 tbsp of Baking powder

4 tbsp of Sugar

2 tsp of Salt

1.75 lb of Cold butter, cut into parts

1 lb of a Peeled Sweet potato

64 oz of Buttermilk

2 oz of Heavy cream

2 tbsp of Turbinado sugar

Directions:

• Preheat convection oven to 400°F. (if you’re using a conventional oven, then 425°F).
• Line two half-size sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Measure dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt) into a stainless steel bowl.
• Using a knife and sanitized cutting board, cut the butter into 1-ounce cubes.
• In small batches, pulse the flour mixture and butter in the bowl of a food processor until the mixture resembles a coarse cornmeal.
• Return mixture to stainless steel bowl.
• Add roasted sweet potato to the food processor; pulse in the buttermilk.
• Make a well in the center of the flour & butter mixture; using a stainless steel spoon, fold in sweet potato buttermilk mixture just until the dough comes together.
• Turn out the biscuit dough onto dry, lightly floured work table; bring together and knead twice.
• Flatten the mound of dough, with hands or rolling pin, to two inches in height.
• Cut biscuits using 2” biscuit cutter, and place next to each other on sheet pan.
• Bake for 9 minutes in full size electric convection oven
• Remove biscuits from the oven and, working quickly, brush the tops with heavy cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
• Return to the oven and bake for 9 more minutes in full size electric convection oven.
• Remove pans from oven and place onto bun rack to cool. 

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

The Baltimore Children & Youth Fund supports access to arts, athletics, music, mental healthcare and more, using 3 percent of the city’s property tax each year.

The idea behind the community foundation is to fundamentally change the dynamic for nonprofits in the city, and get more money into the hands of Baltimoreans making a difference in the lives of children across the city. In 2024, BCYF awarded $9 million in grant funding to 91 youth programs.

However, some critics say more transparency into the funds is needed. Can the Baltimore Children and Youth Fund guarantee its using the fund wisely, and create an impact?

BCYF CEO and President Alysia Lee joins the program to talk about their work. Lonnie Walker of JOY Baltimore, a grantee of the community foundation also joins the conversation.

Later, Heather Iliff of group Maryland Nonprofits talks best practices for community foundations and how smaller nonprofits can make a bigger impact.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Midday's guest is the best-selling author, Ann Patchett. Her latest book is an annotated edition of her most popular novel, Bel Canto, which was published to great acclaim in 2001. In the latest version, she walks us through what she wrote, page by page, commenting on what she thinks could be improved. She shares insights into her creative process with the same kind of grace, humor and gifts of perception that draw us all to her novels and essays.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

On the Midday Newswrap, WYPR's Emily Hofstaedter discusses her recent reporting on the first audit of Baltimore’s Safe Streets program. The first biennial audit for MONSE, which oversees Safe Streets, found the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement had weak processes to prevent duplicate payments and overpayments to contractors.

Ultimately, the audit found no evidence of fraud but warned that MONSE was making itself susceptible to fraud if it did not heed recommendations from the Department of Audits.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Two public servants who represent change on the Baltimore City Council join Midday.

Kristerfer Burnett was elected to represent the 8th district in 2016. He has decided to retire from the council at the end of this term, which is in a couple of weeks. His successor is Paris Gray, who served in Councilman Burnett’s office for four years as a community outreach coordinator.

We ask the pair about their work, past and future, on the city council.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins Midday to share another weekly review of a local theatrical production.

Today we discuss Frozen, on stage at the Olney Theatre Center through January 5. The theatre was one of the few regional venues that Disney asked to produce their own take on this animated classic.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Enrollment in Baltimore City schools continue to decline, in parallel to the city's shrinking population over the past few decades. There are nearly 10,000 fewer kids in city classrooms this year than there were 10 years ago.

With funding for schools tied to the number of students in classrooms, less students represents a challenge for school officials. Chronic absenteeism, which afflicts Baltimore schools and schools across the country, is also a pressing problem.

Meanwhile, if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on his pledge to shutter the federal Department of Education, what would that mean for our city?

Baltimore City Public School system CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises joins Midday to talk about the her school system, and its future.

Santelises led the system longer than any other city CEO in the last several decades. Her last contract expired in June. Chair Ronald McFadden reportedly engaged in months-long negotiations with Santelises that ended last summer with an offer for her to continue as CEO for just one more year, while a national search for her successor was undertaken. Then, about a month ago, the board voted to extend her contract another year, through June 2026. McFadden and Roberts voted against that extension, and this week they resigned as commissioners.

Liz Bowie, an education reporter with WYPR's news partner the Baltimore Banner, reports the reshuffling of the board is the result of a power struggle on the board over negotiations on a new contract with Santelises.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Midday revisits Tom's conversation with political scientist Tom Schaller, a professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and former Washington Post columnist Paul Waldman. In February they published, 'White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy.'

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Donald Trump’s penchant for fabrication and malicious claims against immigrants and others did not seem to matter to voters in the last election. A majority of voters chose Trump to serve a second term.

My guest has been chronicling lying in politics for the past 17 years. Bill Adair is the creator of PolitiFact. We’ll talk about his latest book, Beyond the Big Lie: The Epidemic of Political Lying, Why Republicans Do It More, and How It Could Burn Down Our Democracy.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Today on Midday on the Arts, a rare, Reconstruction-era masterpiece by the groundbreaking African American composer Scott Joplin is on stage at Morgan State University. Opera@Morgan artistic director Marquita Lister tells us about Treemonisha.

Plus, the violin virtuoso Qing Lee of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra joins Midday to preview her appearance at Emmanuel Church tomorrow night at Emmanuel Church.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.