Night Market Philadelphia

Night Market in Philadelphia has been postponed from last week to this week, just in time to kick off Fall Break! You'll be able to find some good food and live music at the corner of E. Passyunk and Tasker St. tonight from 6-10 pm.

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Eating is sexy

I think everyone should watch Nigella Lawson. Yes, I understand that to some, she is hardly what they would fully recognize as the latter part of the term ‘celebrity chef’ but that is beside the point. In a world where Gordon Ramsey, Antony Bourdain, Jamie Oliver, Gina de Laurentiis and the like have all broadcasted their culinary geniuses for millions of viewers, few have truly introduced audiences to the true pleasure of consuming and appreciating what they are creating. Yes, there is anticipation for others’ opinions and of course we must admire the benefits of organic and fresh produce but where can one actually see the chef savouring every mouthful of food that they cook.

When I first watched her, she astounded me by the number of adjectives she pulled out in the process of mixing salad. Every ingredient was described as a gem of sorts and everything was so ridiculously indulgent it just made you fall in love with food. I understand critics and women around the globe have this issue with her being too pornographic, so to speak, when presenting her food and her show but honestly who doesn’t want to experience such incandescent pleasure when cooking and just enjoying the process of creating something so bloody delectable?

Also, please admit that whenever you visit foodporn.com you are overcome with the amazing feasts that appear on that page. But what really, really truly converted me to the Nigella fanclub, despite the occasional riff raff cooking methods she employs, is just the way she savours her food. It’s not gluttonous by any means but it’s enjoyable. She is delighted by every bite she takes and just hungry. This about it, don’t you want to just adore food? It’s the best relationship to have. I love it. Watch her. I promise you’ll love it too. No jokes. And with that, I’m going to go make myself a blackberry crisp. Till next time, ciao for now!

Photo credit: daveandthomas.net

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Something Sweet...

Banana Cupcake with Honey Cinnamon Frosting


Linzer Cookie with Raspberry Preserves


Chocolate Cupcake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

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Cookies in Class

Have you ever been sitting in class, wondering what your professor is like in their everyday life? Have you ever wondered what they like to eat and what their cooking skills are? I have been lucky to take some courses where teachers would bring delicious food on the last day of class and have a relaxed discussion with us. One of those professors is Margreta de Grazia, who teaches in the Department of English.

Professor de Grazia specializes in Renaissance Literature and particularly Shakespeare, so she is probably the best instructor you could get on Renaissance poetry – the class I took with her in my sophomore year. She has written award-winning books of criticism and won several fellowships and prizes for distinguished teaching. I can see why – she genuinely cared about our performance, so every class she would assign one homework question to each of us. In this way, everyone had a chance to participate. I do not usually come up with brilliant interpretations on the spot, so having extra time to think made me much more active and engaged with the class.

On our last day before break, Prof. de Grazia brought us a basket of beautiful clementines and a tray of small brown homemade cookies. As I bit into one of those, the crumbly, walnutty goodness of the cookie swept me off my foodie feet. I instantly knew I had to have the recipe. So in the interim between the last day of class and the final exam I wrote a couple of emails to my professor almost imploring her in Renaissance verse to end my suffering and reveal the delicious cookie recipe. And she did! It turned out that it belongs to one of her grad students, still known to me only by the name of “Cathy from the cookie recipe”. I have decided that I should try to find Cathy and thank her for bringing these amazing cookies into my life.

And here is the recipe! When you bake the cookies, make sure you take them out of the oven as soon as their edges begin to turn light brown, or even earlier than that (if you have made them regular cookie size). Otherwise they get too crumbly and fall apart when you try to pick them up. Luckily, I figured this out from the very first batch. So later, when my professor wrote a study abroad recommendation for me, I was able to give her a delicious thank-you present!

Cathy’s Cookies (courtesy of professor Margreta de Grazia)

Sift together 2 cups of flour, 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix the dry ingredients with 1 cup of creamed butter, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, and 2 1/2 cups of ground walnuts.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
While the cookies are still quite warm (but not so hot they burn you or fall apart when you try to pick them up – I usually let them cool a couple of minutes), roll them in very fine sugar. Very fine sugar is sold either in the baking aisle or with cocktail/drink supplies, but you can also make it yourself by pulverizing regular sugar in the food processor or blender for a minute or two.
So far, I have only used powdered sugar and it has worked perfectly. Since it tends to get soggy when you roll warm cookies in it, I wait until they are completely cool.

Enjoy!

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An Apple a Day...

These days farmers markets are few and far between, and in a world filled with artificial everything, the freshness of farmers market produce is hard to pass up. Just simply standing at the corner of 36th and Walnut on a Wednesday afternoon among the tomatoes, grapes, and, of course, the apples, it was easy to forget that I was in a big metropolis.

Being from Miami, I especially couldn’t get over all of the different varieties of apples that I don’t get to experience at home. I was overwhelmed and baffled because most of my life I grew up with a very narrow apple frame of mind, only ever enjoying the juicy goodness of Red Delicious and Granny Smiths. So, in that moment, I couldn’t contain my apple curiosity.

For all you other apple lovers out there, here’s a brief list that’s sure to tantalize every taste bud:

For those with a sweet tooth check out Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, and Sundowner varieties.

For those who are looking for a more sour bite, explore Jonamac, Jonagold, Sierra Beauty, and Winesap varieties.

And for all you Penn farmers market lovers, be sure to check out the market in front of the bookstore (at 36th and Walnut) on Wednesdays from 10-2 pm. A little farther away is the Clark’s Park farmers market on 43rd and Baltimore that’s open Thursdays 3-7 pm and Saturdays 10-1 pm. Enjoy!

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Double Squash Stuffed Squash

Double Squash Stuffed Squash
2 Small Acorn Squash
½ Zucchini
1 Box of Couscous (I like olive oil and garlic)
4 Strips of Bacon
A couple pinches of Nutmeg
Salt
Pepper
Scallion for garnish

Halve the squash and season with salt and pepper, then roast in a 350 degree oven until soft (it really depends on how big your squash is, so check it every 5 minutes after 30 minutes have passed).
While the squash is roasting, make the box of couscous following the box instructions and fry up the bacon. Take the bacon out of the pan and chop roughly. Then put the bacon back in the pan with the couscous and zucchini over low heat and mix well.
Once the squashes are roasted, remove from oven and scrap out most of the center and add to the couscous mixture. Add the nutmeg and then mix well.
Fill squash with the mixture and return to the oven for about 10 minutes until the top is browned. Add garnish if you're dressing to impress or dig in.
If you want you can add breadcrumbs to the top that will make a crispy crust.

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To buy the crust or not to buy: that is the question.

To me, rolling out a pie-crust ranks as one of the most domestic activities a person can partake in, right up there with churning butter and starching shirts. Making dough puts me in the mindset of Donna Reed and hoop skirts and an earlier, simpler time both in the kitchen and out of it. But in the modern kitchen, convenience and efficiency take center stage, to the detriment of slow food—which is why, when presenting one of my favorite-to-bake berry pies to a friend or hostess, there is often considerable surprise at the revelation of a homemade crust. However, the time intensive crust is a myth. While it’s obviously not as easy as purchasing the grocery store version, the effort it takes is more than worth the reward. The homemade crust tastes better and tastes fresher, and best of all, it is neither difficult nor painstaking to get it right.

Pastry for Double Crust Pie
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
cold water (about 10 tablespoons)

1. In a medium bowl, stir together flour and salt. Use a pastry blender or fork to cut in shortening until pieces are pea-size.
2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the flour, use a fork to toss it into a small ball of dough. Push this to the side of the bowl and repeat, until all the flour is moistened. Use your hands to form a ball, and divide dough in half.
3. Flour a large surface for rolling. Flatten and use a rolling pin to create a circle wide enough to cover your pie pan.
4. Wrap the dough carefully around the rolling pin and unroll it over the pie plate slowly and without stretching it. Trim the edges, and pour the filling into the pie.
5. For the top, roll out another 12 inch circle. You can either transfer it whole to the top of the pie, trimming the edges and tucking them under the crust. Cut slits in the top. For a lattice top, cut the dough into ½ inch strips. Then, starting in the center of the crust, lay down one strip, and three more on each side. Fold alternate strips back halfway, and lay one more strip in the opposite direction across the center. Unfold the folded strips, fold back remaining strips. Place another pastry strip across the first set, parallel to the center. Repeat the weaving until complete.

Best Loved Berry Fruit Pie
1 recipe Double Crust
5 cups blueberries, raspberries or strawberries
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
milk

1. Stir together sugar and flour. Add in berries and cinnamon, and gently mix until the berries are coated with sugar.
2. Pour filling into pie crust and place the pastry top on the pie, sealing the edges with your fingers.
3. Brush the top of the pastry with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
4. Bake in 375 degree oven for 50 minutes. Pie is done when the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.

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Andddd......

We're back!

The Penn Appetit Blog, after a summer of R&R, is tan and ready for some fall semester posting action. So be sure to check the blog daily for a new post from our Penn community.

If you are interested in becoming involved in the blog please email us at pennappetit.blog@gmail.com

Happy blogging,
Alex and Marianne

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First Blog Meeting of the Year - TONIGHT!!

Hi folks,

Just a friendly reminder that the first Penn Appetit Blog meeting of the year will take place tonight, Thursday, September 23rd, at 7:00 pm. We'll be meeting at the Kelly Writers House in Room 209, which is on the second floor and all the way in the back of the house.

Everyone is welcome, whether you've got ideas for blog posts, questions, or just a passion for food and writing!

See you tonight,

Alex and Marianne
Blog Editors

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General Body Meeting - Tuesday, 8:00 pm - SHDH 351

Hi Foodies,

Welcome back to Penn and a to new semester of Penn Appetit! We'll be having our semesterly GBM (General Body Meeting) this Tuesday, September 14 at 8:00 PM. The meeting takes place in Steinberg-Deitrich Hall (SHDH) Room 351. Enter on Locust between 36th and 37th Streets, and we'll have signs directing you to the room. Please note that a valid PennCard is required for entry to the building.

Whether your interest is in writing, photography, layout, or business--or even a combination of those--we'll be covering it all. We'll also be giving a greater introduction to the magazine. So if you're wondering whether or not you should come to this meeting, the answer is--you should!

Email pennappetit@gmail.com with any questions, and we'll see you at 8:00 on Tuesday!

Oh, and we almost forgot the most important part--refreshments will be served. (And a little birdie told us it might be chocolate fondue!)

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