Part II of our recap of Philly Farm and Food Fest. Check out Part I here.
After being directed to three different entrances to the Convention Center, I finally found my way to The Philly Farm and Food Festival. From its entrance, I was not disappointed, as I was greeted by representatives from food trusts, wild foodies, as well as free samples from Whole Foods and Chipotle. Interestingly, while the festival did focus on local and artisan producers, Whole Foods and Chipotle were not the only venders likely familiar to the average Philadelphian: CapoGiro, Metropolitan Bakery, John and Kira’s, and even Fresh Grocer had booths at the festival. Much of the festival featured booths dedicated to promoting CSAs and explaining the importance of local sourcing, and almost every food vender sourced both locally and organically.
As a regular at multiple farmers markets throughout the city, I recognized other stands as well, but I resisted my usuals in order to sample new foods. The array of items was wide: Golden Valley Farmers Coffee Roaster was present with a variety of organic roasts, sweets were abundant, cured meats were plentiful, and the aroma of not-stinky-but-luscious-smelling cheese was quite literally everywhere (mostly of the aged cheddars and feta variety). The festival even included some unusual additions, such as organic natural soaps and cleaning supplies, and a vendor dedicated to wild salmon.
Locavore-praised restaurants Nomad Pizza and Russet were both represented as well. Nomad Pizza gave out samples of “sandwiches” that were a huge hit: two thinly sliced roasted potatoes with fresh parmesan, eggplant, and basil in between, all topped with a house-made honey vinaigrette. Russet gave out samples of homemade vegan- and pork-stuffed mushrooms; neither disappointed.
Subarashii Kudamono Gourmet Asian Pears brought along with them an odd array of pear products: dried pears, pear honey, and a sweet and sticky pear spread. Tait Farm Foods had a unique line of spreads, including cranberry mustard, ginger peach chutney, and fig and olive relish. All of the spread flavors all come in what the representatives term “shrub,” which is a fruit liquid concentrate best used in mixed drinks and cooking.
By far, the most intriguing and unusual items at the festival were FreshaPeel Hummus’ flavors, which include garlic kale, horseradish, jalapeño lime, spicy black bean, lemon kale, tomato basil, and red bell pepper. As if those aren’t unique enough, they also make chocolate dessert and pumpkin dessert varieties; co-founder Deborah Mitchell tells me they are the only place in Pennsylvania to produce dessert hummuses (can’t say I am surprised!). While the combination of pumpkin and chickpeas may sound odd, the texture was pleasantly creamy and the flavor not too sweet (the pumpkin was certainly calmed by the neutral flavor of the chickpeas). FreshaPeel Hummus is sold at local Whole Foods stores, and it is definitely worth a try--if for no other reason than intrigue. Deborah gave me a special taste of the kalamata olive hummus, which is a new flavor to be released this summer.
The longest line at the festival was undoubtably for Little Baby’s Ice Cream. The flavors offered were intriguing: early grey siracha, cardamom caramel, bourbon bourbon vanilla, blue bottle coffee toffee, and peanut butter maple tarragon (I am told they have also offer have a variety of other interesting flavors not featured at the festival). As explained to me by co-owner product manager Martin Brown, all of Little Baby’s ice cream is considered super premium, meaning it contains 16% butter fat or more and is sourced from organic dairy in Franklin County. They currently have a scoop shop in Fishtown, PA, and their products are available in a variety of groceries; they even have carts throughout the city. Their story is even more fun, as the venture is less than a year old and began in a cycle cart; production could not keep up, and they soon expanded to the Fishtown scoop shop. After hearing all about the ice cream, I could not wait to try it. As per Martin’s recommendation, I opted for the cardamom caramel, which was the perfect mixture of sweet and creamy, and the oddity of flavoring ice cream with such a distinguished flavor as cardamom meant perfection.
If you’re looking to try some of these fun items yourselves, most of the venders are regulars at locavore Philadelphia markets. Many are present at farmers markets throughout the city, including Rittenhouse and Clark Park (both of which are near to campus). At least half of the producers sell their products at Reading Terminal Market, and a good number of them also ensured me they sell their products at local Whole Foods markets.
Before leaving, I was sure to stop to pick up some free locally grown apples and bananas; I also purchased some dark green and scrumptious-looking spinach. I declared the day a calorie free food adventure, in an effort to sample and enjoy as much as I possibly could. Needless to say, I left full and satisfied, and while I had declared it a calorie free fun day, I opted to walk back from the festival. After all, the festival felt like a preview of summer farmers markets to come, and there is no better way to end an outing at a summer farmers market than a walk in the sunshine (while burning off all that ice cream, too).
--Chelsea Goldinger
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Philly Farm and Food Fest: Part II
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Philly Farm and Food Fest
On Sunday April 1, I got the chance to visit the 2012 Philly Farm & Food Fest, which was attended by over 3,000 people. I talked to some amazing vendors who are truly committed to cultivating local food. From cheese to meat to produce to honey, the festival had it all and I’m only sorry that I didn’t get to try everything. The event made me feel confident that the local food movement in our area is more than just a trend and is indeed here to stay. Here’s a sample of some of the vendors who I got to chat with:
Zone 7 – Zone 7 works to fill a critical role connecting the demand for local foods with the supply from farmers and distributers. They bring produce into markets, restaurants and schools in Philadelphia and surrounding areas. Distributing to over 100 vendors, they coordinate both with the farmers and those who get to eat and enjoy the produce.
Tait Family Farms - A family farm producing jams (the raspberry was unbelievable), chutneys, olive oils, vinegars and a one-of-a-kind cranberry mustard. All products are made with local ingredients from the farm. They produce in small batches and it shows in the finished product!
Cherry Grove Farm – Based in Lawrenceville NJ, Cherry Grove Farm boasts cheeses, grass-fed beef and lamb, heirloom pork and free range eggs. I got to try several cheeses – my favorite was the Cumin Jack, which had a light cumin taste and finished with a hint of citrus.
Winter Sun Farms – Winter Sun Farms is a wintertime community-supported agriculture (CSA) distributer. They take local produce grown in the summer months, flash freeze it and then distribute it from December through April.
Urban Apiaries – Of all the amazing stands I went to, Urban Apiaries may have been the most innovative. They have 35 beehives in Philadelphia (if you did a double take reading that, its okay, I did too). For example, there are five hives on the roof of Milk and Honey market in West Philadelphia. Consumers can then buy a honey directly from a zip code where the honey is from. Surprisingly all 7 honeys are different in taste and color – not what you’d expect coming from the same city!
Country Time Farm- Located in Hamburg, PA, Country Time Farm raises heritage pork without animal by-products or antibiotics. They sell numerous products, including sausage, scrapple, hot dogs and pork cheeks to restaurants and farmers markets. I got to try the hot dog, it was so tender and juicy it seemed almost wrong to call it a hot dog.
Happy Cat Farm – Immediately walking up to Happy Cat’s stand I was greeted by the smell of fresh herbs. Happy Cat sells seeds, plants and the produce that grows from those plants. Wendell Berry started the company after receiving a jar of his grandfather’s beans and the result has been a wide variety of products, all cultivated in Kennett Square, PA.
Three Springs Fruit Farm – Three Sprigs is a Food Alliance Certified Producer (a third-party certification for social and environmental responsibility). They grow apples, peaches, cherries, berries, jams, and also sell canned fruits and ciders. They were giving out apples to try, which I was suspicious of because it is clearly not apple season. I was happy to learn that they store the apples through the winter in climate-controlled basement so it was just as crisp and juicy as an apple fresh from a tree in the fall.
Overall the first Farm and Food Fest was a great success and I’m looking forward to seeing how these vendors continue to thrive and grow!
-- Leyla Mocan
Check out Part II of our recap of the Fest here!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Han Dynasty: Szechuan Style Chinese Restaurant and BYO
Their menu selection is incredibly extensive with a variety of hot and cold dishes and a multitude of vegetarian options. I would definitely recommend trying the Dan Dan Noodles ($7.95), which are noodles served with a spicy sauce and a lot of chilis. The noodles can serve up to two people.
Just a warning for almost everything at this restaurant—it’s spicy. The noodles are garnished and prepared with Szechuan peppercorns and are definitely for people who prefer spicy food. Other appetizers like the Dumplings in Chili Oil ($6.95) or the Wonton in Chili Oil ($6.95) are equally spicy and by the time I left the dinner, my spice tolerance had increased substantially. I also couldn’t really feel my tongue.
And finally, don’t be afraid of the spice element of this restaurant. The best thing about Han Dynasty is not just the food’s spice and flavor, but the ability to pick which level of spice you want. The menus are all marked with numbers ranging from 1-10, 1 being mildly spicy to 10 being still spicy ten glasses of water later. I think Han Dynasty’s unique brand is partly from its spice and flavor and partly from its personalized menu options. Definitely worth the trip!
--Aneesha Raghunathan
Pictures courtesy of ohjoy.blogs.com and examiner.com
Monday, April 9, 2012
Obsession
Now I’ve got an obsession… I must admit that I am obsessed. Having just recognized my obsession about a week ago, I can’t say whether this has been a life-long passion or merely a new devotion to my home-town. Either way, it has grown into an obsession, an obsession which I, apparently, share with other Penn students from the South. In fact, during a “diversity” training that I recently attended, someone categorized this obsession as a typical southern stereotype—“OBSESSED with Chick-fil-a” proclaimed the boldly written post-it-note.
At first, I chuckled to myself. But then I started thinking about how many times I had passionately expressed the wonders of Chick-fil-a to those unfortunate souls who had yet to enter the beckoning cow’s lair. How many times I had glorified their perfectly crispy nuggets, their piquant special sauce, their creamy milkshakes, or their crispy waffle fries. How many times my fellow southerners at Penn and I tried to organize a Chick-fil-a outing. Too many. Obsessively too many.
Does moving to a new place, a place where our prevalent foods are not readily available cause us to acquire new obsessions? Or do they merely unleash something that we have always liked? I’m not sure. But, I certainly think that the foods we grew up with become, in a way, a part of our identity. It’s interesting to think about all the foods that one may believe a certain group of people are obsessed with. I, for one, think Philadelphians are obsessed with cheesesteaks. But, I’d really like to know what other areas share a special connection with a food item or restaurant! And, if those people think they’re obsessed…or if it takes a drastic location change to unveil this preoccupation!
Sunday, April 8, 2012
News Feed
• West Philly Wire: Under the Button reports that Sang Kee Noodle House at 36th and Chestnut will now be a BYOB every Friday and Saturday night; In other news, Ramen Bar Inc. will be opening at 4040 Locust Street
• 34th Street's food section this week is all about soul food, featuring a soul food glossary, review of Gigi & Big R’s food truck at 38th and Spruce, and their favorite fried chicken dishes in the city
• A Main Line woman has won the 45th Pillsbury Bake-Off and $1 million with her Pumpkin Ravioli with Salted Caramel Whipped Cream recipe - The Inquirer
• Uwishunu has compiled a roundup of Passover dinners at Philadelphia restaurants; Phoodie has named Zahav the winner of its own Passover vs. Easter dinners bracket
• Headed to a Phillies game? Check out Eater Philly's stadium dining guide for Citizens Bank Park
• Philadelphia-native and former Top Chef contestant Jennifer Carroll to star in new Bravo show Life After Top Chef - Foobooz
• Interview: "Michael Solomonov Loves McNuggets (Really!): The lauded chef talk to us about everything from fast food to origami." - Philadelphia Magazine
• Ever wanted to know the history of peeps? So Good has the complete rundown of the foodie-polarizing treat
Image Credit: So Good
Review: Barbuzzo
If you asked me to recommend a Mediterranean restaurant, I would immediately say, Barbuzzo! Barbuzzo is located on South 13th St. When I went to Barbuzzo for dinner the whole restaurant, including the bar, was full of people. The space is not that, but there are many small tables, so the experience was cozy yet lively, thanks to the many visitors all excited to eat delicious food that night. At the bar were oriental lamps attached to the ceiling that immediately caught my eyes. The interior design definitely added to the exotic yet modern atmosphere of the restaurant.
To start off our night, my friend and I shared Sheep’s Milk Ricotta, which was a small appetizer dish. It comes with a grilled – but soft – French country bread, so you can spread the cheese over the bread! Balsamic vinegar and olive oil are already poured over the cheese, and this combination of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sheep’s milk ricotta cheese and the bread creates the taste of heaven in your mouth. Even the bread itself is downright delicious.
Then we tried the Casarecce, a pasta that has mushrooms, arugula, walnut pesto sauce and whipped ricotta. It had a unique taste, especially because of the mushrooms and walnuts. The pasta noodles were soft and had absorbed the sauce, and we loved their rich flavor and savory aroma. We also got the Fruitwood Smoked Pork Tenderloin, but we didn’t really like it. The meat was not soaked in any sauce, so we could only taste the grilled pork as we were chewing. The pork was tough and dry. Actually, when we asked the waiter about the most popular “plate” menu, he told us that it was Caciocavallo Stuffed Meatballs. I thought to myself, “how tasty can a meatball get?” and decided not to order it. However, I soon regretted my decision when I saw the table behind me greatly enjoying the meatballs they had ordered.
Finally, my friend and I shared the Salted Caramel Bundino from the dessert menu. It is the most popular dessert at Barbuzzo, and we agreed that it is, indeed, amazing. The salty flavor blended well with the soft, sweet vanilla bean caramel, and as for the dark chocolate crust at the bottom… we couldn’t stop blurting out "OMG!" and “so good!” as we were eating.
Finally, if you are craving for a sweet cocktail drink at Barbuzzo, go for Sanguinello! It is mixed with orange, blood orange puree, Chambord and lime. Sanguinello is one of the few sweet cocktails there. The waiter recommended Basil Lemonade, but it wasn’t sweet and the taste/aroma of basil was too strong.
Overall, dining at Barbuzzo was without a doubt a wonderful experience. I would definitely go there again, but next time I’m going to try the Barbuzzo “Pig Popcorn”, the appetizer the food critics have raved about, and the meatballs, of course.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Cinnamon toast... in a cupcake?
Cupcake fanatic? Obsessed with cinnamon toast? Well then you’ve come to the right place. Combine these two yummy treats and what do you get? Cinnamon Toast Cupcakes of course! This unique cupcake is one of my favorites, and I highly recommend making these if you are obsessed with quality frosting or cinnamon toast. The cinnamon cream cheese frosting is my favorite frosting and combines the savory goodness of cinnamon with the sweetness of sugar.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
24 paper liners for cupcake pans
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 ¼ cups whole milk
¾ cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar for sprinkling (can combine 1 tablespoon sugar and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
For the frosting:
1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
For the cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl
3. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds
4. Increase the mixer speed to medium and blend 2 minutes more
5. Spoon 1/3 cup of batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it about 75% full
6. Place the cupcakes in the oven
7. Bake until they are golden (About 18-22 minutes)
8. Frost cupcakes once they are cooled
9. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture on top
For the frosting:
1. Mix the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on low speed until combined (About 30 seconds)
2. Add the confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time, blending with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is well combined (About 1 minute)
3. Add the cinnamon and increase the mixer speed to medium and blend the frosting until fluffy (About 1 minute)
*Recipe adapted from Anne Bryn's Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor
Site Scoop: Delish.com Easter and Passover Desserts
For many Penn students, Easter and Passover are times of joy and celebration. For some, this celebration includes a whole lot of food! And what better way to enhance the festivities than by making some delightful holiday-themed sweets? Delish.com features an extensive collection of delectable dessert suggestions for this time of year. 
Sophisticated offerings for Passover include chocolate pots de crème, honey-almond cake, and pistachio-cranberry macaroons, while the Easter recipe section boasts pastel-hued cupcakes with sugared flowers, dainty almond petits fours, and (for the
aspiring pastry chefs among us) a chocolate cake enrobed in chocolate ganache frosting and topped with chocolate truffle eggs. If you're getting together with loved ones in the next few days, bring one (or more!) of these tasty treats along. You will surely be the most popular person at the dinner table!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Belgian Chocolates
This is a continuation of our Belgian food series.
Belgians love their chocolate. Order a coffee at any cafe and you'll be given a piece of chocolate to accompany it. Walk into any grocery store and observe the numerous brands of chocolate and chocolate hazelnut spreads. You can even get a chocolate beer, though this is mostly a gimmick for tourists. Nevertheless, chocolate is as ubiquitous as mayonnaise in this tiny country.
Belgium was first introduced to chocolate in the 17th century by Spanish rulers. Since, Belgian chocolatiers have become internationally renowned for their high quality chocolate and pralines—chocolates filled with various flavors of nougats or cream. Instead of the mass production techniques used by American companies like Hershey's, most Belgian chocolatiers hand make their chocolates in the shops where they are sold.
Whether in fairytale-like Bruges or bustling Brussels, entering a Belgian chocolate shop is like going to the Willy Wonka factory. Mounds of truffles, pralines, and every chocolate-dipped food you can imagine fill the counters. Nearing winter, chocolate molds of Sinterklaas and intricate fruit-shaped marzipan also begin appear on shelves. White-gloved employees navigate the stacks of goodies assembling boxes for customers who look on drooling. Observing the mix of shoppers, you see tourists with bags from other chocolatiers, presumably preparing for a highly caloric comparison between the various shops, and locals picking out their favorites. There is something magical about the experience that undeniably adds another dimension to enjoying the chocolates.
While abroad in Leuven, Belgium, I enjoyed trying and re-trying the most famous Belgian chocolatiers like Neuhaus, Godiva, and Leonidas. Even the grocery store brands like Côte d'Or and Galler are notoriously good, and, of course, I tried these as well to validate the hype. When my chocolate-saturated, among other Belgian delicacies, semester ended, I checked a 36-pound bag of chocolate on my flight home. You can imagine I was definitely the favorite cousin at Christmas.
Take Five with Chez Yasmine's Jihed Chehimi
Chez Yasmine is one of Penn's latest food carts to hit the scene, with its grand opening about five months ago. The cart serves up gourmet sandwiches, soups, and salads at its location at 37th and Spruce. There's no doubt that business is thriving; even with two people working inside the cart (owner Jihed Chehimi and his partner-in-crime Jeannine), the line was consistently 10-15 people long while I was there. While juggling baguettes of bread, a sizzling pan of mushrooms, and bowls of couscous, the ever-friendly Jihed shared his thoughts during a busy (as usual) lunch hour.
NW: What did you do before Chez Yasmine came to fruition?
JC: I have a PhD in Viral Immunology. After twelve years at the Wistar Institute [at the University of Pennsylvania], I was burnt out from research and wanted to do something different.
NW: How did you create Chez Yasmine's menu?
JC: The menu reflects my life: my work, my travel (from the streets of Paris' Latin Quarter to the souks of Tunis and Ancient Carthage to the tiny roads of Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s Old City), and where I grew up (Tunisia, in North Africa).
NW: What's the story behind some of the different menu item names?
JC: There's a lot! I worked at Wistar for a long time; the sandwich [filled with brie, sautéed mushrooms, avocado, basil/walnut pesto, and herbes de Provence] is named in honor of the first independent nonprofit biomedical research Institute in the country. The quinoa salad is also known as "The Gretchen," who is a regular visitor at Chez Yasmine. And the name Chez Yasmine itself? It's for a young Swedish girl born in Philadelphia... my daughter.
NW: What's your cooking philosophy?
JC: I want everything I make and serve to be healthy. We always give a bottle of water and a piece of fruit with every option on Chez Yasmine's menu. Also, I always want my food to be different; it should be food that you want to eat at home.
NW: What's the must-try dish on your menu?
JC: People always order the Swedish Salmon Smörgås (smoked salmon, cucumber, radishes, hard-boiled egg, dill, lemon, capers and a sprinkle of caviar, best served on rye or pumpernickel bread). A personal favorite is the Tunisian Sandwich (dolphin-safe albacore tuna, hard-boiled egg, tomato, green pepper, cucumber, olives, mint, parsley, and a dressing of lemon juice & extra virgin olive oil with spicy harissa): it was a childhood meal.
Check out Chez Yasmine's website here!
