Chesapeake Life magazine, home & garden articles & news

Editors Note

25 (Chesapeake) Things To Do Before You Die

From visiting Blackwater Wildlife Refuge to eating crabs at Cantler’s, here are two dozen (plus one) places and activities that should be on anyone’s Bay bucket list.

By Joe Sugarman, Kessler Burnett, Mary K. Zajac, and Carol Denny

Lead Guitarist

Life Lessons with guitar maker Paul Reed Smith

As told to Joe Sugarman

Blooms Eternal

A Centreville garden helps keep alive the memory of a beloved wife and mother.

By Kessler Burnett
Photographs by Celia Pearson

Basic Italian

Like Mama Used to Make: Four easy Italian recipes

By Andrew Evans
Photographs by Scott Suchman

Kent County’s African American Schoolhouse Museum

Former students recall days spent in a historic one-room schoolhouse.

By Mary K. Zajac
Photographs by Kirsten Beckerman

Wish List

Chefs’ Favorite Restaurants

Ten top toques tell us where they like to dine on their days off.

By Kessler Burnett
Photography By Kirsten Beckerman

Cooking with Chocolate

These four rich recipes will have your guests asking for more—and your kitchen helpers licking the spoon.

By Andrew Evans
Photography by Scott Suchman

Oxford’s Natural Style

This house combines the colorful energy of the big city with the quiet nature of the Eastern Shore.

By Kessler Burnett
Photography By Celia Pearson

Smooth Sailor: Gary Jobson

The renowned sailor and ESPN commentator talks life lessons with Chesapeake Life.

As told to Kessler Burnett

Historical Chesapeake Cookbooks

These tomes tell the story of traditional cooking on the Bay.

By Mary k. Zajac

Searching For Tallulah

What’s Hollywood’s original bad girl doing buried in a peaceful Kent County cemetery?

By Donna M. Lucey

Cooking with Cheese: An Homage to Fromage

Four recipes, from starter to dessert, feature cheese in all its glory.

By Andrew Evans
Photography by Scott Suchman

Kit Houses of Annapolis

An expert tours Annapolis, searching for kit homes among the town’s Georgian and Federal-era jewels.

By Phyllis Speidell
Photography by John H. Sheally II

Editors Note

Purple Passion: Cooking with Eggplant

Love it or hate it, eggplant is one versatile ingredient.

By Andrew Evans
Photography by Scott Suchman

Pet Smarts: Pampering for Your Pet

From pet psychics to gourmet dog food, here are the latest, greatest, and just plain unusual services for your four-legged friend.

By Joe sugarman, Lauren Seibert, and Emma Brodie

Dutch Treat: Shopping Southern Maryland’s Amish Country

A road trip through St. Mary County’s Amish community reveals a shopping adventure, chockfull of culture and scenery, and fun food finds.

By Walter Nicholls
Photography by Scott Suchman

Editors Note

Sweet Treat

Sure, we love our Eastern Shore corn and tomatoes, but the area is also a major producer of another summertime favorite—watermelon. Here's the skinny on one of the area's biggest crops.

By Jason Tinney
Photography by Edwin Remsberg

Super Summertime Pastas

These pasta dishes are easy to prepare, use farmers market ingredients, and taste great.

By Andrew Evans
Photography by Scott Suchman

A River Runs Through It

A modern home on the Rappahannock River provides a simple, beautiful frame for its natural surroundings.

By Christianna McCausland
Photography By Alain Jaramillo

Summer Dreamin’

Five essayists write about first kisses, going blond, and the quest for the perfect tan.

South of the Border

Forget about americanized tacos and burritos;these four delicious dishes capture the fresh, authentic flavors of Latin American cuisine.

By Andrew Evans
Photography by Scott Suchman

Club House

An Irvington rancher finds new life as an elegant gentlemen’s cottage.

By Kessler Burnett
Photography By Erik Kvalsvik

Editors Note

Song of the Shore

Best-selling author James McBride spent months researching his newest novel set in Dorchester County. Recently, he returned to the Eastern Shore to revisit his old haunts and reflect on the setting that inspired it all.

Written by Phyllis Speidell
Photography John H. Sheally II

Shell Game

Cooking with these four types of bivalves is fun, easy, and delicious.

By Andrew Evans
Photography by Scott Suchman

By Joe Sugarman

Let's Make a Deal

If you're thinking that now's the time to buy that waterfront home, you're right. Bargains abound—you just have to know where to look.

Also in this issue...
Designer Consigners
Be Our Guest For Less

By Andrew Tilghman
Photography by Kirsten Beckerman

Designer Consigners

At these area consignment shops, you'll find designer labels, fantastic furniture, and bargains galore.

By Mary Ann Treger, Kessler Burnett, Joe Sugarman

CHESAPEAKE GIVEAWAYS

Where we're eating now

From an old-school Italian charmer to an unlikely French bistro, these tasty twenty restaurants are among the hottest on the Bay.

By Mary K. Zajac, Joe Sugarman, and Kessler Burnett

It's a Crab Cake world

If it's made with tofu or zucchini or spiked with Italian seasonings or Hawaiian pineapple and ham, is it still a crab cake? Our writer laments the globalization of a traditional Chesapeake dish.

By Andrew Tilghman
Illustration By Shane McGowan

Extremely Grateful

One year after being featured on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," Renee Luther reflects on life and her new house.

By Stephanie Shapiro

Everyone loves pizza

Topped with chorizo and chili peppers or bananas and caramel sauce, these pizzas are sure to become family favorites.

By Andrew Evans /Photography by Scott Suchman

Gifts that Kept on Giving

Toy spaceships, engagement rings, and a can of Chef Boyardee spaghetti: For these fifteen folks they were holiday gifts they’d never forget.

Compiled by Gail Buchalter
Illustration by Francis Blake

Joe Sugarman

Hot for Curry

These four curry dishes are flavorful, exotic, and—surprise! —easy to prepare.

By Andrew Evans
Photography by Scott Suchman

Country Time

How one family turned an eighteenth-century kent County Dairy Farm into a comfortably Elegant homestead.

Written by Kessler Burnett
Photographed by Erik Kvalsvik

Wish List

Everyone does it. Some people just do it better.

C'mon, you know you've done it. Learn how to do it better.

By Sarah Achenbach
Illustration by Shane McGowan

Squash Racket

Warm to the season with these hearty winter recipes.

By Andrew Evans
Photography by Scott Suchman

The Next Generation

They’re the ones keeping traditional chesapeake culture alive: the farmers, watermen, carvers, and crabbers who continue to ply at old-world occupations. meet eleven young men and women who are following in the footsteps of generations past.

By Stephanie Shapiro, Jason Tinney, and Christianna McCausland
Photography by Kirsten Beckerman

All Grown Up

Ellen Barnhart replaced her simple weekend bungalow with a stunning contemporary hideaway.

By Carol Denny
Photography by Celia Pearson
Styled by Jennifer Lilly

Out of the Ordinary

Ten years after moving into their Severna Park home, Linda Cameron and Glenn Gilmor are still discovering the “magical treasures” built into the house by designer Dan Hale.

Written by Carol Denny
Photography by Celia Pearson
Styled by Jennifer Lilly

Falling for Figs

Whether grilled, caramelized, or served fresh off the tree, this Mediterranean fruit has a sweet appeal.

By Andrew Evans
Photography by Scott Suchman

Get Crackin’

For a flavorful taste of the Tropics, whip up these easy coconut-infused recipes.

By Andrew Evans
Photographed by Scott Suchman

Funhouse

At the Overmyers’ Bay Ridge retreat, it’s always summertime.

By Kessler Burnett
Photography by Celia Pearson

Skimming the Surface

What’s a group of water-ski fanatics doing in the middle of a Dorchester County lake? Having the time of their lives.

By Gail Buchalter

The (Organic) Farm Stand Blues

She thought she could teach consumers in Dorchester County the virtues of eating organically. But she was the one who learned the lesson.

By Gail Buchalter

Upper Crust

Enjoyed either by the pool or on a picnic, these gourmet sandwiches utilize the best of summer’s bounty.

By Andrew Evans

Do As the Natives Do

Some climb lattice, some thrive in droughts, others could someday make fuel for our cars. all are plants indigenous to the Bay region. We asked five regional landscape design experts to tell us how to use these grasses, flowering shrubs, and vines and why we should incorporate them into our gardens year-round.

Written by Gail Buchalter Photography by Celia Pearson

Water's Edge

After Hurricane Katrina destroyed their gulf coast home, marilyn lyons and corky graham built their dream home on the shores of the bay.

Written by Carol Denny Photography by Erik Kvalsvik

A Little Respect

You think your job is tough? Try working in one of these misunderstood professions.

Written by Kessler Burnett, Joe Sugarman & Elizabeth B. Wrightson Photography by Scott Suchman

Stalk of the Town

Springtime heralds longer days, blooming flowers, and, of course, asparagus. Here are four fresh recipes for this year’s crop.

By Andrew Evans Photography by Scott Suchman

Open House

CL goes behind the scenes at the Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage and discovers what it’s like to invite 600 complete strangers into your home.

Written by Sarah Achenbach Photography by Scott Suchman

All in Good Time

For landscape painter Carol Rowan, patience brings perfection.

By Rosemary Harty

Tater Time

Anytime is a good time for cooking potatoes—especially with these four easy recipes.

By Andrew Evans /Photography by Scott Suchman

Antique Revival

An Annapolis couple revitalizes a turn-of-the-century home into a showplace for their myriad collections.

By Christianna McCausland Photographed by Celia Pearson

Latin Food Fiesta

The area’s burgeoning Latino population has brought with it a fantastic selection of new restaurants to the region. But where to eat? CL staffers traveled throughout the eastern and western shores tasting tortillas, guacamole, and some muy bueno mole sauce. Here’s a sampling of restaurants to whet your appetite.

By Mary Zajac, Joe Sugarman, and Kessler Burnett
Photography by Vince Lupo

Hey, Cookie

It wouldn’t be the holidays without something sugary. Here are four easy recipes to satisfy any sweet tooth.

By Andrew Evans Photography by Scott Suchman

Movie Makers

Hollywood may be where these five talented folks have made their mark, but Talbot County is where they’ve made their home.

By Mary K. Zajac & Christianna McCausland Photography by Scott Schuman

Mister Christmas

With more than twenty Christmas trees, an army of 600 gingerbread men, and thousands of twinkling lights, Granville Gilbert’s Linthicum house is a wonderland of holiday joy.

Written by Joe Sugarman Photography by Vince Lupo

The Artist's Way

A Baltimore architect creates an inspirational rural retreat.

Written by Christianna McCausland Photography by Celia Pearson

Going Green

Thirty-one ways you can help the Bay

Written by Kessler Burnett, Joe Sugarman, and Elizabeth B. Wrightson

On The Edge

An eco-friendly home in Dorchester County takes prefab housing to an entirely new level.

By Elizabeth A. Evitts Photography by Peter Aaron

With the Grain

Move over white rice, here comes the next generation of sophisticated—and healthier—grains.

By Andrew Evans

Orange Crush

Pies aren’t the only way to cook a pumpkin. The underappreciated gourd shines in these four easy recipes, from salad to risotto.

By Andrew Evans Photography by Scott Suchman

Tree House

Chestertown woodworker Vicco von Voss assembles an oasis in the woods that’s as elegant—and all-natural—as his furniture.

Written by Elizabeth A. Evitts Photography by Celia Pearson Styled by Jennifer Lilly

Summertime Blues

Summer jobs—complete with difficult bosses and bad pay—are a rite of passage. We asked a handful of hard-working folks to share stories of their most memorable jobs, from pushing hot dogs at county fairs to cleaning pools to chasing chickens.

Compiled by Mary Ann Treger Illustration by John S. Dykes

Thai One On

Spicy, salty, sweet: When it comes to this exotic cuisine, many flavors meld beautifully into one.

By Andrew Evans
Photography by Steve Buchanan

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