As I know you are all eagerly awaiting the release of this semester's Penn Appétit, I just thought I'd place a post here to let you all know that this issue is looking hotter than a jalapeño, more irresistible than a flourless dark-chocolate cake, fresher than locally grown produce...ok, three food puns is probably enough—just be sure to pick up a copy!
TweetTuesday, April 1, 2008
Don't Mock My "Meat"
As a vegetarian, I’ve had enough mock meat to understand why it makes some people retch. I’ll advise against, for instance, the Fresh Grocer item labeled Tofu Pups—for all the allure of their clever name, those faux dogs left me sick as one.
But, my fellow vegetarians, do not despair. Lucky for us (and some more open-minded omnivores), there is at least one shining light in this black night of protein deprivation:
Morningstar, this one’s for you.
Morningstar Farms offers an incredible array of vegetarian and vegan products—from breakfast “sausages” to “steak” strips, “chick” patties to classic garden burgers—each nothing short of a miracle. How they manage to blend soy and wheat into so many different flavors and textures both scares and amazes me, but never fails to delight my taste buds.
Even Fro Gro knows where it’s at: they’ve devoted an entire freezer section (my personal oasis) to Morningstar’s neat green packages. And conveniently, they go on sale often, making Morningstar’s meals not only some of the tastiest and most nutritious foods available, but a financially sound choice as well.
Simply put, Morningstar puts the eat in mock meat. Not everyone can be vegetarian, but everyone can be Morningstarian.
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Saturday, March 29, 2008
Not Just Another Coffee Shop
The weekend is a perfect time to unwind—and by unwind I mean pump your body with caffeine 
so you can catch up on all the work you didn’t do during the week. One Saturday, jaded by the usual Starbucks and Bucks, I went in search of the Green Line Café on 43rd and Baltimore. A few of my friends had raved about it and I was curious to see how this coffee shop was any different from the rest. I prepared myself for the ‘sketchiness’ that normally pervades the streets beyond 41st, but I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon the Clark Park and the quaint ground floor of a house that is now the Green Line Café.
I loosened my painful grip on my handbag, and pulled open the stained glass doors to find a very artsy, colorful, and relatively quiet crowd seated inside. The big glass panels allow a glorious stream of daylight, in contrast to the mood lighting of most cafes. All but two people man the cashier and the washing of dishes- yes that’s right- no cardboard cups!
The Green Line offers only free trade coffee, which is exceptionally flavorful and smooth (in comparison to Starbucks, who I’m convinced
tries to sell burnt coffee). They stick to the basic espresso drinks but do it well: my Café Mocha was just the perfect balance of cocoa and coffee, and not just a mug of hot chocolate without the marshmallows. Green Lin has an interesting array of bagels and bagel toppings, including hummus and pesto. Their chocolate-espresso biscotti is a must-try, and the vegan chocolate chip cookie is worth a taste for its unique blend of barley, sesame, and coconut.
The Green Line Café is a great place to go for a satisfying cup of coffee and a homey atmosphere. It lets you get away from the hustle and bustle of campus and learn a little about the West Philadelphia community. Oh, and it supports fair trade! So cheers to the Green Line.
The Fresh Vegetable Mystery
Featuring torture, intoxicated onions and a kidnapping, this cartoon is definitely edgier than the Veggie Tales. An old-school whodunit from 1939 (that I watched way too many times as a child), “The Fresh Vegetable Mystery” is probably the reason I don’t like to eat my vegetables.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Penn Appetit News (and Haiku)
layout week leaves me
without time to write haiku.
a paradox, no?
This haiku is just a cheap way for me to let our readers know that we are in the process of laying out the next issue of Penn Appetit - the magazine form of it, anyway. The spring issue will be coming out on April 14! It's chock full of good stuff so far - so good that I don't want to give it away - but I can tell you that we are upgrading the printing to full color! If you want an issue and you aren't in the Philadelphia area, then please send me an email (pennappetit@gmail.com) with your name and address. I was lax about sending them out this past semester, but I will be sure to get the spring issue out to whoever wants it.
One other exciting thing: we are having an event with Ellen Yin, the owner of Fork Restaurant in Old City, Philadelphia, and also a Penn alum. Read more about her career and love of food here. And here's the flyer for the event:
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Truffle Treats
As a college freshman, I’ve experienced the infuriating annoyance of being equipped with only a fridge and microwave. As a result, I’ve become quite an experienced “no-bake chef.” There are a number of oven-free recipes in circulation, and while some of them are awful, this Oreo Truffle recipe is quick, easy, and delicious!
Oreo Truffles (adapted from Kraft foods)
Ingredients:
1 package of Oreos (the “Double Stuff” work best)
1 8-oz. block of cream cheese
1 12-oz. bag white chocolate chips
Directions:
Crush the whole bag of Oreos until finely crumbled. Mix Oreo crumbs and block of cream cheese together into a well-blended paste. Roll the mixture into marble-sized balls, and place in the freezer to harden. Meanwhile, melt a bag of Chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl (I used white chocolate, but dark and milk work well too!)
After 5 or 10 minutes, take the semi-hardened balls out of the freezer and quickly dunk into the melted chocolate. For decoration, sprinkle some of the remaining Oreo crumbs on top of the truffles, and place back in the freezer for a few minutes to harden.
This recipe should yield roughly 40-50 truffles, depending on their size.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
The Best Cookie in Town
Okay, so it’s not delivered to your house at two in the morning. But east or west of the Schuylkill, the best oatmeal raisin cookie in Philadelphia is at Metropolitan Bakery.
About four to five inches in diameter, this chunky, nutty goodie is jam-packed with oats, raisins, and pecans. Almost more trail mix than dessert, Metro’s cookie is a satisfying breakfast treat or replenishing afternoon snack. They really are made of oatmeal, unlike many oatmeal raisin cookies that are more like cookie dough with a vague smattering of oats and raisins. The deliciousness is enriched by the expert use of spices. Each bite is as good as the last and you are almost guaranteed to get a raisin or a nut or both every time.
If you are looking for a hearty but sweet treat, Metropolitan is the place to be. If oatmeal raisin isn’t your style, their chocolate chip walnut is almost as good (and just as big). Get your cookie today for only $1.75 at 40th and Walnut on campus, or at 19th and Manning (just south of Rittenhouse Square) in Center City, or at Reading Terminal Market!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Julia Child Would Approve
My boyfriend Oscar is a foodie. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Only he would be willing to sit through my ramblings about a new recipe for pork and sage pies and, to my delight, actually get excited about it with me. 
Being in a long-distance relationship, we often talk about what we will do once we see each other again – namely, what restaurants we have to try or what foods we will make together. In one of these many conversations, Oscar brought up his (supposedly) famous French onion soup, which he contends is the best around. It’s a collaborative Julia Child and Jacques Pepin recipe with Oscar’s own added touch. Bringing up this soup sent Oscar on a tangent about its many wonders. “No, Marianne, you don’t understand, it’s seriously the best soup ever. Beef broth, sherry, and Gruyere cheese are the only ways to go,” he’d say. Well, of course he had to make it for me over spring break. But we took it one step further, and decided to make a French feast. I had made filet mignon with goat cheese for Christmas dinner last year. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to match our dishes up for an elegant meal back home.
The end result was a hit with both our palates. Caramelizing the onions with thyme and butter for the soup sent a wonderful aroma throughout the house. 
On three separate occasions, Oscar’s mom, dad, and sister walked in to ask what that wonderful smell was. Oscar took great pleasure in adding the sherry, beaming, “It makes the soup.” Simmering the onions in beef broth was easy enough, but we may have overdone the Gruyere cheese - the soup seemed to be half cheese, half broth. But for all his hype, the soup did not disappoint. The thyme and sherry sold me. To my surprise, it wasn’t, as most soups are, overly salty. I asked for seconds and thirds, which Oscar was all too willing to oblige me.
I seared the filet mignon from Whole Foods without incident. Oscar is a meat-lover, and since I rarely eat meat, he coaches me on all things cow. He’s a big proponent of seasoning steaks with salt, pepper and nothing else. So, I did just that, and added a balsamic glaze. The glaze was unexpectedly sweet and rich, a bit like molasses. I recommend making it right before the meal because if you let it sit, it solidifies into a sticky mess. The goat cheese broiled on the steaks provided a nice tang to contrast the glaze's sweetness. After a long time of slaving away in the kitchen, we finally sat down to what was truly a French feast.
Chef Oscar's Onion Soup Gratinée
Adapted from Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home
Ingredients:
2 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp butter
11⁄2 pounds onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp minced thyme, or 1⁄2 tsp dried time
1⁄2 tsp salt or to taste
5 cups hot beef stock
1⁄4 tsp black pepper or to taste
1⁄4 cup sherry
1⁄4 inch thick baguette slices
3⁄4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
Directions:
Set the saucepan over medium-low heat and add the oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add the onions, thyme, and 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt and mix together thoroughly. Cover the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the onions are tender, uncover and raise the heat slightly. Cook for another 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir in the hot stock and bring the soup to a boil. Add salt, black pepper, and sherry. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
To make croutons, toast a dozen or so baguette slices on a baking sheet in a 400°F oven. When the soup is ready, arrange individual crocks on a baking sheet. Put the croutons into the bottom of each crock. Ladle in a cup of soup. Heap a large mound of grated cheese all over the surface of the soup, using the rest of the cheese.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes.
***
Giada’s Filet Mignon with Balsamic Syrup
From www.foodnetwork.com
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
6 (5 to 6-ounce) filet mignon steaks (each about 1-inch thick)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese
Directions:
Boil the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/3 cup, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Melt the butter in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper. Cook the steaks to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a baking sheet. Crumble the cheese over the steaks and broil just until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with pepper.
Transfer the steaks to plates. Drizzle the balsamic sauce around the steaks and serve.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
The Trials and Tribulations of a Loca-Vegan
I recently read a book that ALMOST convinced me to become vegan (or at least eat like one). As a non-meat-eating lactose-intolerant, I am already 2/3 of the way there. Although written as a diet/weight loss book, Skinny Bitch argues for veganism primarily for health reasons, but also for environmental and social reasons. Most of their arguments stem from the fact that the highly industrialized method of meat, dairy, and egg production often leads to more contamination than we’d like to acknowlede. Really, who wants arsenic in their omelette? Not I.
But therein lies my problem with the book’s arguments for veganism. I am fully prepared to stop supporting the “industry”: I will refuse to consume or purchase any animal product that was produced in a questionable manner. But what about small family farms? What about hunters? Can I eat the fish my friend caught off his boat? (This is relevant: I live in Maine.) It's difficult to argue that eggs coming from small, local, organic farms are ridden with chemicals and pesticides. The same is true for meat and fish: if I can meet the guy that shot the deer, and he skinned it and butchered it, I’ll eat it. Hunting is sustainable. Cattle overgrazing the land and mass-slaughtering is NOT.
At first I was enthralled with the idea of veganism: it seems as though it really is healthier and generally more sustainable than the majority of the meat and dairy industries. But I've realized that the deciding issue for me is not animal rights (although most slaughterhouses are abhorrent) but impact on the environment, sustainability, and social responsibility.
Hence I chose a new route, not really vegan but inspired by it. This is my personal loca-veganism. But I won’t judge you – you can eat whatever you want.
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