An Uncommonly Tasty 1920 Commons

If you ask most upperclassmen their opinion of 1920 Commons, generally it won’t be very positive- the food is thought to be mediocre at best. I’m not a picky eater, and as one of the few sophomores with a small meal plan, have meal swipes to use. This meant dining at Commons fairly often, and my opinion of the selection was always average, until I got inventive.

Commons food is considerably bland, but as I’ve learned, has unlimited potential. I was recently filling my takeout box with spinach from the salad bar, and wondered about the possibility of actually cooking the spinach leaves. I have a stove in my apartment, and realized this would actually be possible.

I then proceeded to add a variety of raw vegetables, quinoa and grilled chicken. All were healthy, but flavor-wise, none of these foods were spectacular by themselves. When I returned to my apartment and sautéed them together with olive oil, salt and pepper, the result was wondrous. Believe it or not, my Commons meal was actually tasty.

Since then, I’ve come to realize that when it comes to Commons, all you need to do is add flavor. The salad bar is basically a stir-fry bar waiting to happen, and other foods can be improved upon too. For instance, the grilled chicken is generally tasteless, but when I cooked it with vegetables, balsamic vinaigrette, and lime juice, it was delicious.

Freshmen generally don’t have the option to cook, but for any upperclassmen that still have meal swipes and enjoy cooking, give Commons a chance. Putting in a little effort and adding your own twist makes the world of a difference.

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The Best Cookie Ever?

Big chocolate-chip cookies, small chocolate-chip cookies, giant chocolate-chip cookies stuffed with brownie. I certainly have a type. But, after a trip to Jacques Torres Chocolate in New York over Fall break, I am done with chocolate chips. Have I fallen out of love with chocolate? Of course not. Do I now think that chocolate and baked goods do not belong together? Preposterous. What then?

I have discovered something better. Some call them chocolate féves. Some call them chocolate discs. I call them “perfection.” I cannot fathom going back to regular chocolate chips. Nothing will ever be the same for me again. Chocolate feves even inspired me to melt down and shape my own chocolate for use in baking things like banana bread. However, I will delve into that subject another week. For now, let me share with you the recipe for a cookie I bought at Jacques Torres Chocolate that uses chocolate discs to amazing effect.

If you love chocolate this will absolutely be the best version of the classic chocolate-chip cookie that you ever make. It is perfectly crispy on the outside, chocolatey-chewy on the inside and has a slight hint of toffee. It truly is incredible. I do not usually write about recipes like this (these cookies are not especially crazy decadent except for their size), but I had four midterms this week and this cookie dough was already in my freezer, all ready to go. So without further ado, here is the recipe with a few of my notes in italics: (Note: All pictures here are from the internet; my camera is having problems).

Chocolate Chip Cookies
(From the New York Times)
Adapted from Jacques Torres

Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

Ingredients:
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons
(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note, linked is the bag that I have)
Sea salt

Directions:
1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. 36 hour fridge cookies are noticeably better than 24 hour fridge cookies (and, of course, much, much better than cookies where the dough has not been refrigerated).
Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. The cookies spread out quite a bit, be extremely careful when spacing them or the sought-after crispy outside/gooey inside will be ruined! When in doubt, just put in fewer cookies at a time, baking time remains the same regardless of how many cookies are on a baking sheet.
Cookies can be taken out when their edges are golden yet their centers are still pale. If you are unsure, remember that it is better to underbake than to overbake (it just makes the cookies all gooey and no crunch!).
Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Do not skip this step. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Note: Disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate; Valrhona fèves, oval-shaped chocolate pieces, are at Whole Foods.

One more note:

-1.2 oz cookies can be made as well. I only made one of these when there wasn't enough cookie dough for the larger cookies, but I really prefer them. In my opinion, the best part of these cookies is how they manage to be chewy and crispy at the same time, and the issue with the large cookies is that people often split them or just have a little bit. Only by eating the whole cookie can one fully appreciate the crispy/chewy texture. These smaller cookies allow people to do just that without the guilt that eating nearly quarter pound cookies brings (I must admit, I ate about 5 of the giant cookies over the course of the two days that I baked them a few weeks ago. Oh yes. When I am unhealthy, I go as far as possible.) These smaller cookies should be baked 12-14 minutes (a little longer than 13 was perfect for me). With these smaller cookies, the time cookies should sit outside of the oven before they are placed on the wire rack can be reduced to more like ~5 minutes.

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Bloggers' Bites: Pub & Kitchen

Bloggers' Bites is a series of posts chronicling the foodie adventures of Penn Appétit's blog staff. Last Thursday, Penn Appétit bloggers went to Pub & Kitchen.

Ashlee Burris: Going to Pub & Kitchen was my first Penn Appétit blog outing- we ventured across the South Street Bridge for some delicious, Euro-American comfort food. After walking twenty minutes and more than ten blocks away from campus, we arrived at a rustic, warm, yet obscure setting that housed our destination. The eatery was packed; which is typical for a restaurant in Philadelphia on a Thursday evening. Pub & Kitchen does not accept reservations, so we had to wait 30 minutes for a table. However, my meal definitely made up for the wait. Picking it from their fall menu though did require some scrutinizing attention. I classify myself as a food economist- I pick meals off of menus based on quantity, quality and popularity. I don’t like to take too many food risks when it involves a more than moderately priced meal, especially on a college budget. I did a quick scan of the restaurant clientele and easily observed that the majority of people were eating burgers and short ribs. Our complementary appetizers consisted of autumn vegetables and their daily selection of cheeses and bread. Both appetizers tasted delicious. So to switch it up for my entrée, I ordered the burger and was pleasantly surprised. Not only did I receive a large portion of both burger and fries for $18, but also the burger had unique flavoring. It was stuffed with bleu cheese and topped with double cut bacon strips, pickled red onions, and buttered challah bread. The fries were also hand-cut and seasoned with the right amount of salt. I wouldn’t advise a health-conscious person to order this item off the menu, but I thoroughly enjoyed my selection- 2,000 calories and all. I wholly enjoyed my first outing and the restaurant selection. The items on the menu were a great spin on typical pub food with a unique and high end American flare. I strongly encourage more students to try this restaurant; especially on a night after midterms when comfort food is crucial.


AJ Winkelman: My first trip to Pub and Kitchen was an enjoyable one. After a long wait and some tasty drinks, we were finally seated at our table by an extremely friendly waitress. She felt bad that we had to wait so long so we got two plates of free appetizers -- a plate full of unidentifiable (but delicious) vegetables and a cheese plate. I love cheese and am very choosy, but even I thought the cheese was pretty good. Even better were the spreads that came with the cheese: fruity delicious.

On to the main course. I recently decided I would try to eat more fish, so I forced myself to try the trout. First thing I noticed about the dish was how pretty it was. The light green olive oil surrounded a centerpiece of trout, causing me to pause a bit to admire the aesthetics of the dish before I devoured it. Once I finally took a bite, I noticed a little bit too much salt. The olive oil was clearly of very high quality and was very well paired with the trout, but the saltiness of the trout itself threw me off. I would be happy to return to Pub & Kitchen, if only to try a hamburger next time, because as pretty as my dish was, the hamburger looked unbelievable.


Elliott Brooks: I'm embarrassed to say that last Thursday was my first time at Pub & Kitchen. Having heard amazing things about this upscale American-British pub and its lick-smacking fare, I was eager to make the trip across the Schuylkill. Once seated (after our 30 minute wait!) I ordered the warm beet and apple soup. I have always been a fan of borscht, a beet soup found in most Central and Eastern European countries, and was curious to try Pub & Kitchen's borscht-like variation. The soup itself was a beautiful bright red, garnished with apple slivers, a spoonful of trout roe, a dollop of creme fraiche and a bit of horseradish. The soup was thick and almost creamy, although that didn't prevent me from stirring in all the creme fraiche. It had that wonderful sweet-sour tang that I've come to associate with all beet soups, making the trout roe was an interesting combination. As delicious and beautiful as it was, it didn't come close to my Mom's homemade borscht. Worth the $9? Maybe- I haven't yet mastered the art of making beet soup, so for now Pub & Kitchen will have to do!

Pub & Kitchen
1946 Lombard St.
(215) 545-0350

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Lost in Translation

Having spent six weeks in France, I wanted to take an entire meal “to-go,” but, alas, neither the French restaurants nor US customs supported this idea. While admiring the Creuset cookware at a boutique in Tours, France, I spied a thin book with the words Riz et Risotto elegantly inscribed on the cover. Herein lay my solution! With this cookbook, I could bring French food home; perhaps I could even become a renowned French chef-- Oh, the possibilities were endless! Sadly, such possibilities vanished as quickly as they had come. Back in the US and suffering from a bit of jet-lag, I mindlessly wrote down the ingredients for one enticing French risotto—“Gratiné au Beaufort”—and ventured to my grocery store, Publix. Once there, I realized that I had no idea what an ingredient, Beaufort, meant— besides that it’s a town in South Carolina. Lacking a Smart Phone and being in Publix, I thus had no way of translating the word with Google. Mon Dieu! I skimmed the remaining ingredients—white wine, shallots, Arborio, olive oil—what could be missing? Cheese! I rushed to Publix’s new fromagerie and asked the attendant if he carried Beaufort cheese. He quizzically replied, “beau-for?” emulating the French accent I had used, “I haven’t heard of it.” I tried again with a slight Southern accent, “Bow-fort? It’s French.” Nothing. So, I substituted Gruyere, another French cheese that I hoped would resemble Beaufort.

Having overcome the issues with translation, I now struggled to convert the measurements from metric units. While in elementary school, I decided that I had no use for the Metric system. You can thus imagine my struggle! Not only did some of my conversions seem rather outlandish (a result which I attributed to the decadence of French cuisine), but others didn’t convert evenly! The oven needed to be preheated to 180°C…356°F. My oven used increments of five. Quelle horreur! Should the temperature be too high? Too low? Anxiety began to overwhelm me, for I always follow directions exactly. The inexactitudes piled up with each step. Add a splash of salt! A dash of cheese when the moment strikes you! Did a splash of salt cause the boiling water to, in fact, splash? How would I know when I felt like adding cheese?! What if I changed my mind? I frantically flipped through the other recipes, but, they too, used this slapdash method! Sacré bleu! My dreams of becoming the next top French chef had been dashed, just like the cheese which I unenthusiastically scattered on the risotto. At least I tried, I thought, as I hesitantly tasted a spoonful. Yet, instead of swallowing something repulsive, my taste buds tingled, delighting in the potency of the cheese and the sweetness of the wine. I excitedly scanned the remaining recipes, happily appreciating their free-style method with every bite. So what if I remained lost in translation for these recipes? For, just as I was lost, the French, too, were lost in the precision of their measurements! Parfait!

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News Feed: A Round-Up of the Week's Top Food Stories

• Dining Guide! From Pizza Brain to Magpie, 34th Street is back with its bi-yearly round up of Philly restaurant reviews

• Listicle: Philadelphia Weekly has spotlighted 50 Things You Must Eat in Philly

• Si Por Favor: Check out Foobooz's list of Philly's best empanada offerings

• Newbies: Food writer Drew Lazor highlights the 10 most promising food and drink industry talents in Philadelphia

• Eager to get your Thanksgiving feasting started? Grub Street Philly has compiled a list of restaurants serving up holiday-inspired eats

• Step back cheesesteaks: The Philly meatball sandwich is ready for its moment

• The British are coming! The Insider reports a new English pub is headed for Old City

• Foodmanteau: It's Ketchup! It's Sriracha! It's Srirachup!

• Food meets the election: California rejects labeling of genetically modified food

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Devon Seafood Grill

Devon Seafood Grill, located in Rittenhouse Square, is known for its freshest, high-quality seafood and notable wine list. It is a semi-upscale restaurant (two dollar signs on Opentable.com) with a slightly casual atmosphere. I recommend going there during lunch, perhaps on a special day, since you can have a delicious lunch at a reasonable price.

When I visited Devon Seafood Grill, the weather was still warm, so I got to sit at the balcony area, with wide-open windows, providing me with a beautiful view of Rittenhouse Square from my table. This vantage point, and the general atmosphere, made my meal so relaxing.

I ordered "Today’s Fresh Fish” menu, which comes with a choice of a grilled fish and two seasonal sides. The fish all vary in price. I ordered Mahi-mahi ($17) with mashed potato and lobster mac and cheese as sides. Mahi-mahi, as I had expected, was very fresh and tasty. The fish was grilled in a way that made the outer part slightly crispy and the inner part very soft. The fish was seasoned well with right amount of salt, peppers and other spices, so it was perfect for me. Some restaurants over-season their steak or fish so that the only thing I taste is the saltiness, but this wasn’t the case with Devon.

The mashed potato tasted just like any other mash potatoes. I like mash potato in general, so it was a good side dish. However, what made my lunch perfect was the lobster mac and cheese. The macaroni pastas were really big, and I liked the fact that they were not completely soaked in cheese, and consequently not too greasy. I really loved it. Although I had to pay a few bucks more for the lobster mac and cheese because it was a special side dish, it was worth it.

Another menu you could choose is “Power Lunch Combos” ($13). You can choose your main dish from a list, which includes roasted duck flatbread, ahi tuna sushi rolls, and lobster tamale, and it is served with a bowl of soup or starter salad. The same goes with “Power Lunch Entrees” ($18). If the lunch sets do not satisfy you, there is variety of other options available, including sandwiches ($11-$14) and entrees ($14-$31).

Of course, I would definitely visit Devon again!



Devon Seafood Grill
225 S 18th St
(215) 546-5940

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A Brief Introduction To Me

I don’t think I properly introduced myself last week when I wrote my first blog post here about healthy cauliflower pizza. You probably guessed that I love making “healthy” versions of usually unhealthy dishes. That is my second cooking love. Let me reintroduce myself by writing about my primary culinary passion.

I am AJ. I have never met a (dark) chocolate I didn’t like. Sure, I don’t like Nestle like I love Valrhona, but I don’t think I could ever say any dark chocolate isn’t “good”. Almost all (dark) chocolate is good enough for me, and I don’t think I’ve ever once thought that anything “had too much chocolate.”

My relationship with sugar is not as stable. A moderate amount of refined sugar every once in a while is enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. But there’s a moderate amount of sugar, and then there’s this: a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Red Velvet Cake Pie

Some people can handle massive amounts of sugar. I on the other hand get dizzy, start moving very slowly, fall into a sugar stupor, and begin to hallucinate. Maybe not that last one. So, if I knew a single piece of this thing would nearly send me into a coma, why did I make this monstrosity today?

I don’t half-ass my desserts.

When I make desserts, I always go too far. I am extremely disciplined when it comes to health and food, but make dessert once a week on Sunday. Before that great day, every week I spend HOURS all week planning and researching what ridiculous thing I am going to make next. Chocolate fudge truffle cheesecake topped with homemade whipped cream and strawberries? Been there. Homemade quarter pound “pillow” cookies with homemade chocolate covered brownie centers? Done that. Pie crust filled with chocolate chip cookie dough and red velvet cake? Whoah. Decadent enough. I guess.

I made this chocolate chip cookie dough red velvet cake pie because I happened to have a pound of homemade cookie dough from last Sunday’s dessert day in my freezer, because pie crust is so very easy to make, and because I’ve never made a red velvet cake. I don’t particularly like cake, but I wanted an excuse to make a cream cheese based frosting (I have no springform pan here and I miss cheesecake; this was close enough…or something).

So, that’s enough about me. I love making delicious healthy food, but I also love unbelievably, ridiculously, ludicrously unhealthy food. I also forgot to mention that I LOVE learning about the science behind cooking and baking (I am about to start making my way through this, the new bible of the science behind cooking), but you’ll learn more about that in the weeks to come. From now on -- it’s all about the food, baby.

Check out the photos chronicling the making of this magical and deadly pie:

Pie Crust with Cookie Dough Layered on Top

Red Velvet Cake Batter Atop Cookie Dough

Shameful Frosting Job. AWESOME cream cheese frosting.

See you next week.

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News Feed: A Round-Up of the Week's Top Food Stories

• I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM: A new Philadelphia-made, French-style ice cream venture called Weckerly’s is coming soon to the Green Line Café at 43rd and Baltimore

• No complaints here: Federal Donuts owners plan to continue expanding, with as many as 10 stores by 2015

• Quick Fix: The WALK blog has a quick recipe for heathy chocolate mousse using avocados

• Uwishunu is back with two must-read roundups: Newly opened Philly restaurants to add to your must-try list and upcoming restaurant openings to look forward to

• Stephen Starr: Food writer Kirsten Henri defends the restaurateur against stuffy foodies' common criticisms

• We're all guilty: Local Philadelphia chefs share some of their commonplace food vices, from Ben & Jerry's Phish Food to Oreos with peanut butter

• Listicle: Philly Mag offers the "21 Best Things to Eat at Reading Terminal Market," which celebrated its 120th birthday this year

• Spuds: A brief history of the tater tot and some Philadelphia watering holes that are serving up the classic childhood food (also check out this recipe to make your own!)

• National Wire: Yelp is launching an “Explore the Menu” feature that displays user-contributed photos of restaurant's menu items

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Cake Mania

Who doesn't love cakes? I am a bit cake-obsessed and by a bit I mean constantly stalk new creations of my favorite cake decorators. One of my all-time favorite cake decorators is Bronwen Weber of Frosted Art Bakery in Dallas, Texas. I first discovered her during her many stints in Food Network Challenge. I found myself always rooting for her as she created some of the most incredible cakes I have ever seen, on the spot and within a time limit. What draws me to her cakes so much is the attention to incredible detail, how life-like her cake sculptures are, and how intricate and beautiful the overall designs of her cakes are. You can check out some of her amazing creations here.

Another favorite cake designer: Colette Peters of Colette's Cakes in New York, New York. While I first fell in love with her artistry during her witty banter with Duff Goldman during Food Network Challenges, I continued my taste for her cakes because of their magnificence. I cannot forget when she squared off with Duff during the "Mystery Cakes" challenge. While Duff's cake was incredible in design, the execution unfortunately did not turn out copasetic. On the spot, Colette was able to perfectly execute a "Fishing" themed cake and beat out her fierce competitors. It was then that my love for her skill was solidified.

And I cannot possibly do an introduction to my favorite cake designers post without the aforementioned cake genius that is Duff Goldman of Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, Maryland. Duff's ability to create the most interesting, jaw-dropping cakes is unmatched in the industry. His willingness to take chances and make cakes that possibly no one else would ever attempt is inspiring. I will never forget the awe I experienced when I saw the episode of "Ace of Cakes" in the first season entitled "Wedding Cakes and Headaches." In this episode, Duff created a birthday cake for his father in which he had fireworks come shooting out of it. Not many would attempt such a cake but Duff was excited for the challenge. If you want to admire extreme yet beautiful cakes, Duff would be your guy! Check out some of his cool cake sculptures and more here!
Courtesy of: colettescakes.com

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Taste the Celebration

When I was in first grade, I became obsessed with fairies. I had a fairy house – think dollhouse – outside, and I spent hours making furniture out of twigs and delectable fairy delicacies out of flowers. So of course, when the leaves began to turn and my birthday planning began, I asked for a fairy themed party. My mom and I planned fairy games, crafts, and costumes, and after I submitted my request for lemon cake and vanilla icing, my mom planned the cake. On the day of my party, as all my classmates sang “Happy Birthday,” my mom carried a beautiful fairy to the table – my favorite lemon cake forming the giant domed skirt of a repurposed Barbie doll with a blue icing bodice and wings.

When I was little, I always wanted plain lemon cake, but the shapes my mom created each year stole the show. Koala bear faces and teacups for me, footballs and train tracks for my brother: food coloring, carving, and lots of love. Ever since I can remember, birthday cakes have been a big deal in my house. At some point along the line, the cakes became simple round layers, and I shifted my allegiance from lemon cake to chocolate with a year or two of carrot cake limbo in between. Nevertheless, I still see birthday cakes as the center of the celebration – a birthday necessity made to order.

This year, I was lucky enough to be home for my mom’s birthday which meant that I had the all-important honor of baking her cake. Not surprisingly, she asked for chocolate cake and in particular for what has become our favorite chocolate cake from Bon Appétit. Considering the multitude of chocolate cakes we’ve tried over the years, that’s quite a compliment. With a moist and fluffy crumb, the cake melts deliciously in your mouth.

Cake decided, it was time to choose the icing to top it off. To the great satisfaction of my taste buds, my mom selected chocolate ganache. With its fancy French name, I used to think ganache was a difficult and sophisticated preparation reserved for restaurant desserts. Luckily, I discovered before too long that it is remarkably easy – requiring just a quick whisk of warm cream and chopped chocolate. Even more importantly, it is lick-the-bowl, never-eat-store-bought-icing-again kind of good.

When I carried the cake to the table on my mom’s birthday, it wasn’t quite as showy as the fairy of years ago. It didn’t feature food coloring or carving. It wasn’t colorful or creative. But it was just as delicious as any birthday cake before and it was baked with just as much love.

My favorite chocolate cake recipe can be found here on the Bon Appétit website. Oddly enough, I’ve never made the cream filling or ganache recipes that are paired with the cake, but I think you’ll love the cake regardless of the fillings and icings you choose.

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