My mom always says to me, “Don’t forget to eat your fruit!” and I immediately think of all the apples and oranges and bananas I have been neglecting in my daily diet. One day, however, I was in Fresh Grocer browsing when I picked up a pomegranate and wondered to myself, Why don’t I ever eat pomegranates? Possibly because I don’t know, as many people don’t, that pomegranates provide much more nutrition than a simple apple can. They’re loaded with vitamin B5, potassium, vitamin C and antioxidant polyphenols (which can fight cancer). It has also been shown to fight plaque and even lower blood pressure. An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but a pomegranate a day can add years to your life.
Or, if seeds aren’t your thing, next time consider a bag of lychees instead of grapes. These sweet, shell-covered fruits are a product of East and Southeast Asian countries and have begun to make it into mainstream America. They're loaded with Vitamin C, calcium, magnesium and the always-essential fiber. They are usually sold in bunches or de-shelled in cans.
Looking for an alternative to strawberry milkshakes? Try açaí shakes. The native South American fruit has become widely popular in energy drinks (Vitamin Water, Naked Juices, etc.) and have proved nutritional in a variety of ways. It has a fair amount of antioxidants, protein, Vitamins A and C, and a large amount of iron. Sold mostly in pulp and juice form, açaí drinks are easily accessible now in a variety of supermarkets.
So are you ready to mix up your fruit diet? There’s a whole new generation of exotic fruits out there just waiting to become the next big thing. So stop by Trader Joe’s (2121 Market Street), swing by Whole Foods (2001 Pennsylvania Avenue in Fairmount) or even try Fresh Grocer (4001 Walnut Street) to start exploring today.
Monday, February 9, 2009
A New Generation of Fruit
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Upcoming Food Events
Valentine Weddings
Where: Reading Terminal Market, 12th St. and Arch St.
When: February 14, 11:30 am
What: Watch five food-loving couples get married in the middle of the market, followed by a dessert reception.
"Fork You" Live!
Where: Foster's Urban Homeware, 399 Market St.
When: February 14, 2:00 pm
What: A live filming of the popular podcast, forkyou.tv. Part of Fosher's free cooking demonstration series.
How Much: Free!
"I'll Eat All of You" - Sendak and Food Gallery Talk
Where: The Rosenbach Museum and Library, 2008 Delancey Place
When: Wednesday, February 18th, 6:00 pm
What: A discussion of the role of food and eating in children's author Maurice Sendak's work, including how he uses food to express love, power, and desire. Space is limited; click here to RSVP.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Friday Blog Lovin'- Cookie Madness
Blog: Cookie Madness
Have a cookie craving you just can’t satisfy? Look no further than Cookie Madness, the website of Austin blogger Anna Ginsberg. Her recipes often involve unusual ingredients, like cayenne pepper in this one for Mexican Chocolate Chunk Cookies. She even ventures into scones, muffins, cheesecake, and the like; Anna’s got all your baked good bases covered.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Thai Chef & Noodle Fusion
I wasn’t impressed by the name when a friend recommended it to me, and I wasn’t impressed by the storefront when she took me there. It looked and sounded like one of those nondescript, standard stock, ethnically-ambiguous Asian places, the kind you go to when your taste buds are feeling lazy and you have an inexplicable, irresistible craving for chicken fried rice. But just like how you can’t judge a book by its cover—the same concept goes for restaurants, especially in Philly.
Thai Chef & Noodle Fusion is a relatively recent addition to Philadelphia, having just opened in November 2008. Located on 20th and Chestnut, the restaurant’s humble exterior and modest furnishing are drastic understatements of its culinary accomplishments.
Their menu is extensive—multiple pages, packed front and back with an overwhelming selection of appetizers, specialty entrees, and variations on traditional Thai and pan-Asian dishes. You’ll get your money’s worth with clichéd favorites like drunken noodle, or if you’re feeling adventurous, you can order “Fantasy Duck,” “Jungle Queen,” or a “Winning Alligator” (which is actually alligator—the menu claims that “Customer vote the meat soft tender, better than chicken”).
The kitchen delivers what the menu promises. My seaweed tofu soup was literally just seaweed and tofu in vegetable broth, exactly as described, but it was perfect. This place doesn’t try to win you over with exotic ingredients, revolutionary seasonings, and pretentious displays of food art. The dishes are fundamentally simple—even the “Winning Alligator” is just alligator meat sautéed with a vegetable mix.
What’s so compelling about the food is that every flavor is multi-dimensional and wonderfully complete. You won’t be shocked by a taste you’ve never experienced before; instead, you will feel your body react to each dish with a deep sense of comfort. I ordered the Wild Ginger, simply a variety of vegetables sautéed with julienned ginger and served with rice. In my experience, ginger is mostly used in Asian dishes to enhance the taste of the primary ingredients, not so much as the focus of a dish. But it was a good call—it gave the sauce an addictive zest, and its sharp taste awakened my taste buds, making me more sensitive to all the delightful nuances of my entrée.
It’s really admirable, how the chef doesn’t try to drown each dish in rich sauces and potent seasonings. Rather, he uses just the right spices and herbs to bring out the natural taste of each ingredient—it really helps you appreciate the wonderful diversity of food. The dishes pack a subtlety and depth of flavor that will appeal to light and heavy palates alike.
Other Observations
Décor
If you focus on the clean linoleum, white tablecloths, and solid wood chairs, it looks like every other decent, mid-range Asian restaurant. But take a look at the walls and the lighting, and you will feel like you are in a twelve-year-old’s bedroom. A vibrant underwater scene—complete with a shark, schools of fish, seahorses, and starfish—covers all four walls, and the lighting fixtures, in various bold colors, look like something you’d find in IKEA. According to the waitress, there is no reasoning behind the choice of wall mural; the manager just thought it would be fun. The overall effect is surprisingly comfortable, and slightly humorous.
Service
Throughout the course of your meal, you might experience some awkward moments or misunderstandings with the service; it kind of felt like they were still figuring out the details of the job--little things, like communicating about special requests, answering questions, getting an ice bucket for wine. That said, however, they were extremely accommodating, helpful, patient, and considerate, and I feel like as far as service goes, in the end it’s the attitude that really makes a difference.
Perks
It’s a BYOB, so if you’re going out for a laid-back dinner with friends, you can bring a bottle to enjoy with your meal. Also, while the prices are already very affordable (almost everything is under $20), they have a daily lunch special that’s a total steal—a three-course meal for under $10. Finally, they are always willing to make variations of their menu offerings to suit individual tastes. As a vegetarian, I found their flexibility to be very convenient.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Live Blogging - Top Chef Season 5: Episode 11
11:00
Wow, I was certainly wrong with that one, and Jamie gets sent packing. I think this is the first elimination this season that I really disagree with, mainly because I don't want to put up with both Hosea and Leah for another week. The preview reveals hardly anything except for an injury to Fabio and a bizarrely lit judges' table. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
10:53
Well, my prediction for the top/bottom divide was correct, but there looked to be a clear distinction between the best and the worst tonight. The judges are full of complements for Stefan, Fabio, and Carla, including Toby Young. As sad as I am for the season to be over, I can't wait to see his departure. Stefan takes his thousandth win of the season, and with it he gets not only Eric Ripert's new cookbook but also a week-long stint shadowing the star chef and a trip with him to South Beach for the Food and Wine Festival. For once, the elimination isn't so obvious, and I'm not at all certain who will get the boot. If I had to pick one out of the sea of atrociousness, I would eliminate Leah, whose attitude has gotten progressively worse and who didn't seem to have a clue how to put together certain elements of her dish.
10:40
Almost as amusing as watching the chefs struggling to decipher these recipes is seeing Ripert keeping such a close eye on them. It's almost as if he's saying, "Don't screw up my kitchen TOO much, you amateurs," but only with his eyes. He is way more hands-on than any other guest judge so far, and it's great to watch him conference with each chef individually in the kitchen. Except for Jamie, that is, because she was so short on time that she couldn't get a plate ready for him. Uh oh, I smell disaster...So the judges taste both the original and the chef's versions back to back, with Fabio up first. His sourdough encrusted red snapper receives generally positive feedback, although the same can't be said for Leah's overcooked fish and tasteless broth. Stefan's lobster comes out next, and it seems to be almost an exact replica of Ripert's dish. Carla struggles for time, and her peers give her a helping hand getting everything plated. She owes them one, because the judges seem generally pleased with her effort. Hosea's monkfish is clearly one of the weaker offerings, almost certainly landing him in the bottom three with Leah and Jamie, whose bass and blanched celery also fail to impress.
10:24
With news of the elimination challenge still conspicuously absent, the six remaining chefs head to Eric Ripert's restaurant, Le Bernardin, for lunch. The food looks delicious, but we're so close to the end, so put them to work! I think that Leah should contain her affections for Eric, though, as we all saw what happened last time she got carried away with a crush, and they've finally stopped talking about that encounter, thank God. When Tom announces that there's one course left on the menu and the music starts up, the challenge must be on its way. The chefs must recreate the six entrees that Ripert served, all of which require a high degree of technical skill. Stefan gets to pick his dish, the baked lobster, but the rest of the chefs pick knives. I'm sure that there will be some disasters, but I can't wait to see who falls apart.
10:12
We're really getting down to the end here, with the finale just three weeks away, and I wouldn't say that there's an outright frontrunner this year, like previous years. Stefan probably has the best track record, but he's had his missteps, so tonight's elimination is definitely up in the air. The quickfire is a fish fillet tournament, and the presence of sardines sends Carla into a British accent for some unspecified reason. I mean sardines are disgusting, so this is kind of hard for me to watch, and Eric Ripert looks similarly disgusted in his evaluations. Jamie and Carla go out first, but Leah soon joins them with a pathetic performance in the next round. Fabio also gets the ax because of some faulty technique. Seriously, this is the longest quickfire ever, and this isn't even a supersized episode! The final round, eel peeling, is at least semi-intriguing, but Stefan dominates Hosea for yet another win.
Happy Intestine Day!
Dear Readers,
We at the Penn Appetit blog have declared today Intestine Day! Read on for two very different accounts of how intestines have come into the lives--and stomachs--of two of our writers. But be warned, some of the pictures and descriptions that follow are not for the squeamish!
Alex
Blog Editor
Life, Death, and Intestines in Jordan
For Eid al-Adha, the holiday which commemorates Isaac's near-sacrifice at the hands of his father, Abraham, it is customary to slaughter a sheep (or two, depending on your wealth). You then donate some of the meat to charity, eat the rest yourself, and let nothing go to waste. This includes the majority of the innards: heart, lung, kidney, liver, brain, stomach, and intestines. Heart, lung, and kidney just taste like meat, mostly. Liver's not my speed, I stay away from brain, but due to certain circumstances I was obliged to eat both stomach and intestine.
photo by audrey farber
Stomach is prepared by boiling several times to clean it, then cut up and sewn into little pouches stuffed with rice, chickpeas, and vegetables, and then cooked. It smells rancid from beginning to end and tastes as bad.
The intestines are a whole different ball game. Having watched them come flopping out of a dead sheep hanging upside down from his feet, then watched the bile and fecal matter be squeezed out of them--including a priceless moment when they encountered a hole in the intestines and squirted out all over the place--then boiled, boiled, and boiled again, and finally stuffed with the same rice mixture as went into the stomach, cooked, and eaten - it was all a bit too much for me.
I ate it, but I had only as much as required by etiquette and was still nauseous several days later. Now I can't eat lamb without flashbacks to the taste and smell of festering digestive organs.
The two upsides are that, first, I have seen an animal slaughtered and I can still eat meat--something very few carnivores can say and second, the entire experience was a reminder that there are cultures in the world today that still appreciate an animal for what it is and what it provides us, utilize the entirety of its edible parts, and let nothing go to waste.
Intestines are Yummy. Really.
Every country has its own official “quirky” food: France has its escargots and frog legs, China has its monkey brains . . . and Korea has its cow intestines. But before you start thinking that Korea is a little too weird for your taste, you should know that there are a lot of countries that frequently use different types of tripe in their cooking--all disguised behind mysterious names we can’t pronounce. Just to name a few: the Spanish Callos dish, the Hungarian Pakal, the Japanese Yakiniku, and even the American Philadelphia Pepper Pot Soup.
So why even consider using animal organs in something that’s going in our mouths?
Because it tastes good. No, really, it does. It also feels good. The chewiness of the intestine allows one to savor the sauce slowly oozing out with each bite, which is what makes any intestinal dish heavenly, in my opinion. Of course, the same chewiness is what makes intestines a deal-breaker for some people, but those are the boring people who like the conventional stuff. I assume YOU are up for some adventure if you’re still reading this.
Once the intestines are meticulously cleaned (and it needs to be, for obvious reasons), it is perfectly edible by humans. Getting it cleaned, however, is no easy feat, which is why people rarely prepare this dish at home. One tip for those who do want to give it a shot: rub the intestine layers in flour so that the odor goes away, or else you might not want to go through with your little adventure.
Korean restaurants offer quite a variety of animal tripe dishes that appeal to the general population, two of which I will mention now.
The most popular is the soon-dae: quite literally, a type of Korean sausage that wraps up a mix of vegetables and noodles or sticky rice into a flattened layer of pig intestines. It is most popular among students who have little time and money on their hands but of course, adults love this dish just as much. Soon-dae can be eaten with a salty dipping sauce, cooked in a noodle broth, or stir-fried with vegetables and spicy sauce.
The second is gob-chang: small intestines of either pig or cow. Most restaurants that serve this dish serve dae-chang--large intestines--as well. I personally find it most satisfying when the intestine is served chopped to bite-size pieces seasoned with salt and pepper or a spicy sauce, which we would then personally broil on a pan in front of us and eat as soon as they are ready. For an extra burst of flavor, you can dip the pieces into a spicy or garlic sauce.
Another popular choice is the gob-chang jun-gol, which mixes the intestine pieces with vegetables in a spicy (or not spicy, depending on your preferences) casserole.
It isn’t exactly the healthiest food in the world, but it’s a treat worth savoring every once in a while. I myself make it a habit of eating all the different variations of intestinal dishes available every time I go back to Korea for vacation. And if you ever decide to visit Korea, even for reasons other than the intestines, don’t be afraid to try them out because they’re totally worth it.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Avocado "Zingers"
The name may be really strange, and perhaps a bit cheesy, but I concocted these little party bites for a New Year’s party, and they were a hit! The recipe is fast, simple and excitingly delicious:
Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
2 ripe oranges
A few dashes of Tabasco sauce (I used the new garlic variety but you can use any kind you'd like)
Toothpicks
Directions:
Cut avocados and oranges into cubes, and join one piece of each on a toothpick. Put a dash of Tabasco on each duo, and voilà! They’re done. Serve them as soon as you make them so the avocadoes don’t turn a nasty brown.
It seemed like a strange idea at first, but the coolness and creaminess of the avocado, coupled with the citrus of the orange tempered the fiery kick of the Tabasco to create an exotic and tingling combination of flavors on the palate. Try it out!
