A New Year's Feast

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, is a two day holiday which typically falls nears the start of autumn. Its Gregorian calendar date varies from year to year because of the lunar cycle that serves as the basis for the Jewish calendar. The holiday starts in the evening because this is when the Jewish day and new year starts. The year is typically welcomed with a large meal that includes specific symbolic foods.

This year, I went to my cousin's house to celebrate the second night (start of the second day) of Rosh Hashanah (lit. Head of the Year). Since my cousins and their parents are Orthodox, they were not allowed to turn electricity on or off and thus had to prepare the food the day before and leave the ovens and burners on low. In the course of 6 hours, however, my older cousin and his mother prepared an incredible multi-course feast that incorporated the symbolic foods into the meal.

Our first course was a round Challah, a traditional Jewish egg bread, symbolizing the continuity of creation, which we passed around and drizzled with honey. The next course was a plate which included small pieces of foods specific to the holiday. On the plate was a slice of Asian pear (the "new fruit" one eats on the second night as a seasonal fruit one hasn't been eaten since the season began); a piece of butternut squash; leeks baked in thyme, pepper, salt and oil; a date; a carrot (in Yiddish, the word for carrot sounds similar to the word meaning "to multiply"); a piece of pomegranate (to represent a year full of good deeds); and a slice of apple to dip in honey (to represent the desire for a sweet year). We next had a slice of tri-layer gefilte fish: a layer of gefilte fish mixed with dill sandwiching a layer of salmon gefilte fish, all topped with a roasted baby carrot tied with a chive. The fish (or rather the head of fish) expresses the desire to be at the "head" of the year. The next course was the soup course, which allowed us to choose between a roasted pepper cauliflower soup with cumin and a touch of curry and a rich dark chicken soup with carrots and celery that had all of the meat and bones still in the broth (although bones were avoided when the soup was ladled).

The main course was a buffet-style course with French influences. One metal bowl contained a salad with bok choy, almonds, scallions, and a soy-ginger dressing, while another contained chopped up beets and carrots drizzled with oil and balsamic vinegar. The side dishes were lentils stewed with carrots and celery (barely visible in the back left corner), and roasted potatoes and squash (the two rectangular plates in the foreground). The main meat dishes were Cornish hens stuffed with basmati rice (which thankfully stayed in the hens even when they were cut in half) and Lamb Provencal, sliced and bordered by the baked leeks (shown in the long plate placed diagonally). The Lamb Provencal consisted of lamb shoulder cooked in chopped onions and two cans of tomatoes, then spread with garlic, rosemary, balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mustard. He then added a dash of salt and pepper and drizzled honey over everything to seal and tenderize the meat. For dessert, we had sliced glazed apples inside an open square puff pastry. The presentation of all courses was impressive, although not totally surprising: my cousin Spencer Brennan is a skilled artist who usually has a vision in mind.

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Food Events @ Penn

Night Market Philadelphia
What: Food trucks, live music, lion dancing and Asian arts for one night only in Philly's Chinatown! For more info, visit this site.
Where: 10th and Race Streets
When: Thursday, October 6th, 7-11pm









The Mini Trini
What: Philadelphia’s first gourmet Trinidadian food truck serves up authentic tastes such as veggie, shrimp, and chicken roti; chicken and fish doubles; bake and saltfish; and accra (fried codfish cakes).
Where/When: Mondays and Thursdays from 11 am-3 pm at Love Park; Sundays at Headhouse Farmer's Market (they'll be at tonight's Night Market too!)
Cost: Menu items range from $3-$13




Fork's Sustainable Dinner Series: Oysters
What: Fork continues their Sustainable Dinner Series in honor of prime oyster eating season (months ending in “R”). As one of the most sustainable seafood choices, oysters play a major role in our ecosystem such as filtering water of extra nutrients, creating habitat for hundreds of other species, stabilizing sediment on sea bottoms, and more. Fork will highlight the shellfish with a four-course dinner featuring East Coast, sustainably-farmed varieties. See the menu here.
Where: Fork, 306 Market Street
When: Thursday, October 13
Cost: $55/person for 4-course meal

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Midtown Village Fall Festival

This past Saturday afternoon, there was a familiar autumnal crispness in the air, the kind that makes you want to throw on a cozy wool sweater and dig into a warm slice of apple pie. However, considering that I had not baked any pie and that all of my cozy wool sweaters were still sealed up in storage, I needed an alternative plan. Thankfully, this was also the perfect weather for sampling the seasonal offerings of trendy Philadelphia bars and restaurants while listening to live music, so I jumped on the eastbound trolley for a trip to the Midtown Village Fall Festival along 13th Street. Seeing as how this particular stretch of the city was home to some of Philadelphia's finest fare, I was sure Fall Festival wouldn't disappoint. I was right. As soon as I crossed over to 13th and Chestnut, I was struck by a wave of enticing sounds, sights, and smells. A lively jazz/funk band called The Sermon! performed onstage. Cooks from several neighborhood eateries (including El Vez, Vintage Wine Bar, Opa, and Zavino, among others) huddled under white tents, tending meticulously to their stations and slinging out everything from gyros to cheeseburgers to pork tacos. In the Fall Festival fantasy of my mind, every one of these culinary delights would be lavished upon us, the attendees, free of charge. Alas, that was not the case, so I decided to part with five dollars in exchange for a dish that looked especially delicious: Zavino's ricotta-stuffed veal meatball sandwich with parmesan. It was tasty. Very tasty. In fact, it would be appropriate to say that I basically inhaled it.  The meatballs were juicy and tender, and very nicely complemented by the sweet, flavorful tomato sauce in which they nestled. The grated cheese added a pleasantly savory contrast. And, of course, the roll was just right in that signature Philadelphia way: light and chewy, never soggy. (Side note: When I got home, I decided to check out the restaurant's menu online. As it turns out, it is quite reasonably priced. I've also read phenomenal things about their pizza, so you might want to make Zavino your next downtown dinner destination.)

Now, every good sandwich deserves to be accompanied by a good beer (or, dare I say it, two) and there was plenty to be found at Fall Festival. My libations of choice? Magic Hat and Flying Fish OktoberFish. While I enjoyed the Magic Hat, the OktoberFish was slightly too bitter and hoppy for my taste, although fans of stronger beers would probably find it very agreeable (and the fact that it is brewed in nearby Cherry Hill, NJ also adds to the cool factor). Walking the streets of classy Center City with an open plastic cup of alcohol was an odd sensation, but I'm not complaining! It certainly contributed to the overall relaxed atmosphere.

So, was I glad that I decided to break from my normal Saturday afternoon routine of being lazy and doing nothing in order to go to Fall Festival? Absolutely. As a senior who is trying to maximize the number of positive Philly food experiences under her belt before graduation approaches, while simultaneously not trying to go broke, I love events that allow you to explore quality restaurant cuisine without having to pay quality restaurant prices. Midtown Village, keep doing what you're doing, because you do it well.

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Food and Memories: Ice Cream Edition

Since childhood I have associated ice cream with glee. As a toddler I ate so much ice cream that my parents told me it was not sold during the winter to reduce my consumption of this frozen elixir. Sadly I believed them, and I will always mourn the lost season of eating ice cream. My neighborhood has a variety of ice cream options from a homemade ice cream parlor that perennially ranks among the cities’ best (Eddie’s Sweet Shop in Forest Hills, NY) to chains like Haagen Dazs and several frozen yogurt purveyors. I ate ice cream and I was happy. For sixteen years that was enough.

In the summer of 2010 my family and I went to Paris. I fell in love, not with croissants, café au lait or history (those were long established romances) but with ice cream, more specifically the gelato shop Amorino. We arrived in Paris with one recommendation: Berthillon, a gelato shop that we sampled on our first day. It was good to be sure, but nothing to write home about. The next day as we meandered around the city, an ice cream craving set in, aggravated no doubt by constant sightings of people with ice cream cones. Where were these people coming from? Why were their cones so colorful? Where could I get one?

A few blocks later, I stood in front of Amorino Gelato for the first time. The shop features gelato made from the finest ingredients (each flavor specifies its sources) and arranged on cones in a floral design, making it easy to combine flavors. As a newbie, I ordered just one flavor: espresso. It was heavenly: creamy and cold with a strong espresso flavor unlike the diluted coffee taste of typical ice creams. My father was the only one to order colorful flavors on the first visit and we vowed to return and sample the other options.

Luckily a second trip was not difficult. Amorino is an international chain with stores in Spain and France. Their first US location opened this summer in the East Village of New York City. The next day in Paris, we returned. That time I ordered three flavors, one creamy one for the center of the “flower” and two fruity flavors for the petals. I highly recommend the raspberry and strawberry. The colors are vibrant and the fruit flavor pure and sweet rather than overpowered by sugar. During my week in Paris I ate at Amorino every day. One day we even went twice. I left Paris and thought Amorino and I would never be reunited.

This summer, everything changed (again). While walking through Place Capitole in Toulouse I saw an Amorino sign next to an Italian restaurant. The night before we were scheduled to leave Europe, my cousin and I went to Amorino. I was anxious to see if the quality was comparable, to see if it really was as good as I remembered it. I was silly to have worried. I ordered stracciatella, the Italian version of chocolate chip, with petals of strawberry and raspberry and took a lick of memory. As I ate my cone in the plaza under the sunset I realized that ice cream would always mean glee. But I am now savvy enough to realize that it is available not just in the winter, but all around the world.

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No Limits in Eating Locally

On Tuesday, September 27, Penn students and staff joined Bon Appétit in the 2011 Eat Local Challenge. The challenge this year entailed the preparation of a lunch made solely from ingredients within a one hundred and fifty mile radius of campus. Not only did the challenge support local farmers and communities but it also showcased the quintessential flavors of fall.

Being the foodie that I am, there was no way that I was going to miss out on this Penn tradition. My chosen eatery that afternoon was Hill, which happened to feature crisp apple cider, fresh tilapia, steamed potatoes, decadent butternut squash soup, and scrumptious blueberry scones for dessert. I began my meal with a refreshing glass of apple cider. The cider was exceptional as it retained a perfect balance between the distinct juiciness of the apples and the saccharinity of the sugar. Previously, my extent of apple drinks consisted solely of apple juice. However, after trying the cider at Hill, I know that I’m going to have a new favorite apple beverage.

After downing the cider, I switched my focus to the butternut squash soup. I have had many excellent bowls of butternut squash soup in my life, and the bowl at Hill happened to be one of the finest. The soup had a hearty, thick texture that was coupled with the sweet and savory taste of cinnamon. Next on my list was the main course of tilapia and potatoes. The tilapia had a tender consistency and tasted extremely ocean-fresh while the potatoes were finely roasted and tasted even better when paired with the organic ketchup. Last but not least on my agenda was the blueberry scone dessert. The texture of the scone was soft on the inside and had a satisfying slight crunch on the outside. Fresh blueberries were drizzled on top and proved to be a worthy sweet, yet subtle, addition to the scone.

Overall, I was extremely impressed with my experience of eating locally at Hill. The options were as plentiful as ever, and the flavors were more distinct than normal. This event really opened up my eyes to the possibilities of sustainability. If Penn students and staff are willing to put forth the effort, then every meal served at Penn could potentially be made from organic and local ingredients. Thus, my only question after the 2011 Eat Local Challenge is “Why isn’t every day an eat local day?”

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Food Events @ Penn

 
 National Free Coffee Day
What: In honor of National Free Coffee Day (yes, apparently it's a holiday) all Dunkin' Donuts will be selling their hot and iced coffee for 50 cents with coupon, while Krispy Kreme will be giving out free coffee all day long.
Where: All Dunkin' Donuts and the Krispy Kreme in Center City.
When: Thursday, September 28, 2011







PAFA's Party on the Plaza
What: In honor of the new Lenfest Plaza, PAFA (Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts) will be celebrating all day! Particularly notable for foodie fans: local Philly food trucks will be serving up food to the crowds throughout the day. We’ve confirmed appearances by Tyson Bee's, Dapper Dog, The Crepewalk, Jack N Jill, Buttercream, SugarPhilly, Cantina Burrito and House of Pita. More information here.
Where: Broad and Cherry Streets
When: Saturday, October 1, 12 pm - 1 am

Photo courtesy of Tom Crane, PAFA





 Chez Yasmine
What: New food truck's grand opening on Spruce Street, serving up soups, sandwiches, and salads. View more information here.
Where: 37th and Spruce Streets
When: Saturday, October 1





Night Market Philadelphia
What: Food trucks, live music, lion dancing and Asian arts for one night only in Philly's Chinatown! For more info, visit this site.
Where: 10th and Race Streets
When: Thursday, October 6th, 7-11pm

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Bloggers' Bites: Sunday Brunch

Bloggers' Bites is a series of posts chronicling the foodie adventures of Penn Appetit's blog staff. This Sunday we went to Marathon on 19th and Market to try their renowned brunch. 

On a sunny morning at 10 am, three members of the Penn Appetit blog team set out to find some Belgian waffles. We had a destination in mind: Bonte, an authentic waffle shop in Center City (on 17th St. between Sansom and Walnut.) Elliott, blog editor and past resident of Belgium, was particularly excited to sample these delicacies. Upon arrival at the small basement Bonte, we could tell something was amiss. The cashiers were no longer taking orders; they were short staffed and the waffle batter was sticking. Belgian waffle sampling: delayed. With that plan squashed we continued on in search of sustenance.

We next visited the Philadelphia Chutney Company, a dosa specialty shop that had sadly not yet opened. Finally we reached Marathon Grill at 16th and Sansom and settled in for brunch. Marathon is a group of six restaurants that focuses on local ingredients, some of which are sourced from their own Philadelphia farms. Marathon also happens to be known for its chocolate chip cookie dough pancakes, which all three of us were tempted to order. Of course, as foodies we opted for diversity. Nicole ordered the signature pancakes, Elliott chose the French toast with mascarpone and I opted for the breakfast quesadilla. As the weekend brunch crowd filed in, we discussed everything from classes to attempts at cooking in the dorms to plans for spring break (thinking ahead is key) and more.

After a wait that bordered on too long, our food arrived. The portions were generous and satisfying. The chocolate chip cookie dough pancakes were sweet without being overtly so, with a tender batter that didn’t turn mushy with the addition of syrup. The French toast was well seasoned with the mascarpone adding a tangy richness. My quesadilla featured sharp cheddar, tomatoes, peppers and well-cooked eggs in a wrap. The home fries could have been a tad crisper but for $8.50 I cannot complain. Marathon’s front room is full of windows and as the Sunday morning sunshine streamed in on our flavorful meal, I felt refreshed and ready for the week. The power of a good meal is that it forms friendships, satisfies the soul and opens your horizons. Our trip to Center City took us not to a Belgian waffle, nor an Indian dosa but to somewhere entirely different: a local brunch that reminds us all why we care so gosh darn much about the food we eat. -Abigail Koffler

Brunch was on my mind when I woke up on Sunday. All I could think about was sinking my teeth into a fluffy Belgian waffle courtesy of Bonte’s. Imagine my disappointment when Elliott, Abigail, and I walked into the nondescript store and witnessed Bonte’s two staff members panicking over the broken waffle machine! No matter—the element of surprise only makes for a more exciting foodie adventure. Fortunately, we soon happened upon brunch hotspot Marathon.

Marathon prides itself on adhering to the “buy local” movement, sourcing fresh seasonal products from urban farms and upholding the highest quality of food in all its dishes. I went with the chocolate chip cookie dough pancakes, a house specialty and one of Marathon’s bestsellers. Service was a bit slow (which was expected at peak brunch hour), but flowing conversation made the time pass quickly. When the pancakes arrived at the table, I was stunned by how large they were: the three lofty hotcakes encompassed the entire surface area of the plate. By just looking at the dish, it was hard to identify any semblance of chocolate chips or cookie dough. However, after I generously drizzled syrup on top and tore hungrily into the stack, rich chocolate oozed out and erased any uncertainty I had. I easily could have eaten the same type of dish for dessert. The serving was certainly large enough for two people to enjoy; I had leftovers even after sharing some with my dining companions! My only suggestion is that the added fillings (i.e. chocolate chip and cookie dough) should be distributed more evenly throughout the pancakes. Yet this factor is small potatoes compared to the light, airy pancake batter and fantastic union of sweet flavors. The dish is a truly delicious and decadent treat. Although we didn’t have the chance to try Bonte’s (I’ll have to return when everything’s back up and running!), I was more than happy to satisfy my brunch cravings at Marathon. -Nicole Woon

The true Belgian waffle is so very different from those fluffy things we Americans serve with syrup or whipped cream. Known as liégeoise waffles to the Belgians, these dense, gooey and caramelized treats can be bought from waffle trucks and hole-in-the-wall waffleries all across the small country.

I've heard Bonte Wafflerie and Cafe serves genuine liégeoise waffles. But then, that's just word-of-mouth. When we went this Sunday, this wafflerie was out of their speciality. Apparently their waffles were sticking to the griddle, a problem that you would think a place specializing in waffles would know how to fix, but apparently not. We left without receiving an apology, as did the other customers in line.

Luckily, a few blocks away was Marathon. We settled in for their Sunday brunch, excited to try our respective orders. The wait, almost an hour, was a bit too long for three girls who hadn't eaten breakfast. When the food finally arrived, we dug right in. I feel bad giving the only critical review, but I was disappointed.

I ordered their blueberry mascarpone-stuffed French toast. I'm a fan of French toast with a custard-like interior and a buttery griddled exterior. Marathon's French toast, however, was too dry for my liking. I was hoping the mascarpone would add a rich creaminess, as it does when served at room temperature. However, melting it seemed to make it cheesy and bland. While quite filling, it was nothing to write home about.

But I still had hope! I was excited to try the chocolate chip cookie dough pancakes. I'm a huge cookie dough ice cream fan, and I imagined Marathon's pancakes to be a breakfast incarnation of my favorite dessert. To me, however, the pancakes were much too airy and boring, a dead ringer for the pancakes you get from a Bisquick box. On top of that, the cookie dough clumps were infrequent and large. In fact, they were so large that I ended up eating some pancake, then some cookie dough, and then some pancake again, but never the two combined.

All in all, while I appreciated Marathon's creative brunch concepts, I found the execution lacking. The brunch, while fun, is not worth the $8-$11 spent on each plate. -Elliott Brooks

Photos by Nicole Woon

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End-of-Week Treats at Sugar Philly

In my time at Penn, I have had the pleasure of trying (and often returning to) several savory food trucks around campus. Until last Friday, however, Sugar Philly's desserts had gone untasted by me. It is surprising that I was able to go all of freshman year without venturing over to the cheerfully decorated vehicle at 38th and Walnut, given my ferocious sweet tooth- I have been known to eat the sugar packets at diners while waiting for my food and am guilty of keeping a jar of vanilla frosting in the fridge for a handy snack. Obviously, I was extremely excited to try Sugar Philly's offerings and their desserts certainly did not disappoint.

Photo courtesy of Sugar Philly's website: www.sugarphillytruck.com

Upon my arrival, chef Dan Tang made some helpful recommendations. One of Sugar Philly's specialties are their French macarons, and I tried the milk and honey, chocolate ganache (offered daily) and a chocolate and peanut butter (Friday special!). He recommended that I eat the milk and honey first because its flavors are the most delicate and might get lost after the richness of the chocolate ganache and chocolate-peanut butter. Following his advice, I tried the milk and honey first and loved it. The macaron's cookie had a slightly crunchy texture that transformed to a slight chewiness in the middle, and the delicate flavor of the subtly sweet filling provided melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. The chocolate ganache and chocolate-peanut butter were also phenomenal. When my friend and I cut the chocolate-peanut butter in half to share, decadent filling oozed delightfully from the sides and upon tasting we found that the salty peanut butter balanced the chocolate nicely. For the pure chocolate lover, the chocolate ganache macaron is one that should not be passed up. The thick chocolate filling is sure to satisfy even the strongest chocolate craving.

I also tried Sugar Philly's vanilla creme brulee. Dan torched the sugar topping as I waited, creating the classic caramelized sugar top layer. The creamy, sweet custard was extremely smooth and had a pleasant vanilla flavor that was present without being too overpowering. The crunch of the slightly warm sugar topping paired perfectly with the cool custard and made for a delicious combination of textures and flavors that left me feeling a little sad when the creme brulee was all gone.

So, if you're ever in the vicinity of the Sugar Philly truck (or even if it's a little bit of a walk!) it is definitely worth a visit. Try going on different days of the week so that you can try all of the available macaron flavors!

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Autumn Pie Adventures

As the leaves begin to flaunt bright colors of autumn and the air suddenly starts to dance with the crisp smell of approaching windy chills, nothing sounds more inviting than a trip to your local orchard. Eager-eyed children embark on their first hayride while mothers gush over fresh apple cider and sugared donuts. Nothing says fall like the fact that the two most sought after treats of the season have finally ripened to perfection: pumpkins and apples. The pumpkin patches are overflowing with massive orange fruit while the apple trees are teeming with varieties ranging from the sweet and subtle to the statement-making tart. The one food that comes to mind when I think of what has single-handedly described my autumn experience for as long as I can remember is pie.

While growing up, I lived close to a family owned orchard that made the most delicious fruit pies. Every once in a while when my mother and I stopped by the orchard to pick up some fresh peaches or apples, we couldn’t help but wander over to the pie display and choose a perfectly crafted pie to take home with us. After eating so many scrumptious slices of this sweet treat, my mother and I decided to try our hand at making our own pies. From then on, it became a family tradition to venture over to the orchard every fall, pick our own apples, and make a yummy pie to share with friends and family. For this reason, I have become something of a pie aficionado. As for apple pie this year, I probably won’t be able to make it to the orchard anytime soon, so the apples at the farmer’s markets around the city will definitely serve as an excellent substitute.

This summer, I made a delicious peach blueberry pie that I shared with family and friends. Below is the recipe for the super easy pie that will be sure to please!

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sliced peeled fresh peaches
1 cup fresh blueberries
Two pie crusts (9 inches each)
Milk, to brush
Cinnamon-sugar mixture


Directions

1) In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Add the peaches and blueberries and toss gently.
2) Line a pie plate with bottom crust, add the filling, and top with the remaining crust. Brush the crust with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.
3) Bake at 400° for 40-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Cool completely and serve!

-- Monica Purmalek

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Korean Street Food

I was especially happy to see the food trucks lining the streets in and around Penn when I first arrived here as a freshman because I love food trucks. The food is cheap, convenient, and usually pretty tasty. Korea is one country with a huge street food culture. Korean street food is usually sold at stands or carts, not trucks, and served as snacks, not meals. There is a huge variety of these snack foods, but the most standard street food stand would be ddeok bok yi, uh-mook, and twi-gim. Ddeok-bok-yi is possibly the most popular among spicy-food-loving Koreans: it is a dish of chewy rice cakes, thin slices of uh-mook, and boiled eggs smothered in hot, spicy sauce whose prime ingredient is red pepper paste. Uh-mook sold on food carts is white fish pureed into a paste, steamed, then stuck on skewers. Such a food cart would have the uh-mook on the skewers bathing in broth so the fish cakes would stay warm and chewy. There are usually ddeok (rice cake) skewers among the uh-mook skewers as well. Customers are free to scoop the broth into paper cups to sip, even if they eating something other than uh-mook. Twi-gim is fried batter-dipped vegetable (such as potato, yam, and pepper) or meat; most food carts only carry a variety of vegetable twi-gim. A popular way of eating it is with the ddeok-bok-yi sauce: Koreans really like their food hot!

Although those three kinds are probably the most famous street foods, soon-dae (pig or cow intestines chopped and rolled into a sausage-like form), jjin-bbaang (moist, steamed round bread filled with sweet bean paste, vegetables, or meats), and hotteok (pancake-like dough filled with sticky sweet sauce) and many, many others remain popular. These street foods may vary slightly in terms of size, shape, fillings, and/or strength of the flavor across the country. For example, the city of Busan is famous for their uh-mookk with various fillings.

For a quick fix, I may run to Koreana to eat the Korean favorite, ddeok-bok-yi. Even though “street food” made in restaurants or at home may taste good, it will always taste better eaten standing in front of the food cart while the rest of the world busies itself about, blurred by the steam rising from the cup with the uh-mook broth I have in my hands.

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