It turns out that Matthew’s Pizza, Baltimore’s oldest and most famous pizza shop, has been serving a pizza pie distinctive to the region of Massachusetts where I grew up — a fact that occurred to me only recently. That I failed to recognize a Matthews Pizza as a South Shore Bar Pizza is possibly due … Continue reading Something like South Shore Bar Pizza has been baking in Baltimore for 82 years
Too much distressing
I empathize with the woman who wrote on Threads this weekend that she'd like to wake up just one morning and not hear distressing or disturbing or disgusting news emanating from the White House. On Saturday morning, it was war with Iran. Every day some hellish thing greets us -- some video of ICE agents … Continue reading Too much distressing
Wicked Good, A South Shore Anthology: Story-teller Dan Rodricks to perform his one-man play in April
Excerpted from The Brockton Enterprise: Dan Rodricks, an East Bridgewater native and long-term journalist, will perform a one-man play, “Wicked Good: A South Shore Anthology,” in April to benefit a scholarship fund for high school students in his Massachusetts hometown. Tickets are $20 for adults, $12 for students. The play features humorous and poignant monologues … Continue reading Wicked Good, A South Shore Anthology: Story-teller Dan Rodricks to perform his one-man play in April
Support the McKeldin library fund, own a piece of Baltimore history
The title of my new play is taken from the title of a book written by the late Maryland Gov. Theodore R. McKeldin when he was Mayor of Baltimore in the 1960s. The book, published in 1964, celebrated the three famous philanthropists — Hopkins, Peabody and Pratt — who contributed greatly to the quality of … Continue reading Support the McKeldin library fund, own a piece of Baltimore history
Michael Lang: Up from polio with camera and curiosity
Mike Lang Anya Webb informed me of the death on February 9th of her stepfather, Michael Lang. He was 83, and one of many memorable people I had the pleasure of meeting during my time as a columnist for The Baltimore Sun. I admired Mike Lang for his courage, his resilience and his skill with … Continue reading Michael Lang: Up from polio with camera and curiosity
The long, slow melt of winter 2026
I asked a scientist about the value of the long, slow snow melt we’re experiencing. Common sense tells you there’s a value to it — reduced risk of flooding for one thing, gradual replenishment of moisture in the soil for another — but, while common sense might be an ingredient of the scientific process, it … Continue reading The long, slow melt of winter 2026
Recipe: Rigatoni dolci e piccanti
I invented a one-pot, sweet and spicey pasta dish during the recent winter hibernation. It’s called Rigatoni dolci e piccanti. You need a big pot, olive oil, two onions, four cloves of garlic, four red bell peppers, four cups of chicken or vegetable stock (heated or at room temperature), a half-pound of rigatoni and two cups … Continue reading Recipe: Rigatoni dolci e piccanti
How to warm up the house: Make minestrone
If you want to take the chill off the house on a winter morning like this one -- if you want to take the chill off your body — get up early and make minestrone. Make a big pot so you can share some with a deserving friend, neighbor, relative or conscientious citizen. (Please don't … Continue reading How to warm up the house: Make minestrone
Photos: Chesapeake Bay freeze, Eastern Shore workboats on ice
My friend Kurt Kolaja, videographer and filmmaker, traveled a bit on Maryland's Eastern Shore on Jan. 30, capturing these scenes from Kent Narrows, Turner's Creek and Chestertown. The last time the Chesapeake saw extensive ice -- so thick in some places that you could drive a car onto it -- was the winter of 1976-1977. … Continue reading Photos: Chesapeake Bay freeze, Eastern Shore workboats on ice
Writing letters to Congress: If you want to get their attention, go old school.
In the 1939 Frank Capra film, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” letters from citizens to Congress play a pivotal role in the story — they symbolize the voices of young people crying out for honest representation and government for the greater good. The letters arrive in stark contrast to a media campaign manufactured by a … Continue reading Writing letters to Congress: If you want to get their attention, go old school.
Dan Rodricks 