I could barely contain my excitement as my boyfriend and I walked through the elegant entrance hall of the Ritz in London. It may seem silly to some, but it’s not everyday that one gets to take afternoon tea at the Ritz, an institution synonymous with aristocratic elegance and the glory of a bygone era. Being a hardcore tea drinker (although I have always been perplexed by coffee aficionados), I love afternoon tea: an affair which the Ritz is famous for taking to decadent heights. As we walked down the gilded hall, the soft lull of music guided us to Palm Court, the Ritz’s stately and bejeweled tea room.
Once seated, I looked around the room. Despite the price (about sixty-six dollars per person), the twelve week advance reservation requirement, and it being a Wednesday, the room was packed with elegantly dressed individuals. Neither jeans nor sneakers were to be seen in this crowd of cocktail-dress wearing and coat and tie bearing customers—the Ritz has a very strict dress policy. I savored the old-world charm of the room: the gilded ceiling, the crystal chandeliers, the waiters in tails, and the ever present tinkle of china and conversation. The place exuded charm, refinement and over all luxury. I was definitely ready to start.
Within moments our waiter appeared with menus and a three-tiered silver cake stand, which was quickly covered with dainty, no-crust sandwiches on the bottom, freshly baked scones with preserves and clotted cream in the middle and topped with delicate little pastries. Our teas were prepared in silver teapots and served in fine bone China designed exclusively for the Ritz. Feeling very posh, we started eating, as we thought logical, from the pastries down.
It was only half-way through devouring our pastries that I noticed that we were the only ones consuming our sweets—everyone else was nibbling away at their sandwiches. Feeling very plebian for neglecting some rule of afternoon tea, which I later tried to Google, but never found, I too started nibbling on these crustless bites. Waiters, rushing about the room, refilled trays with more sandwiches, scones and sweets than I thought humanly possible for any individual to consume.
After eating and drinking tea until we were about to burst, we finally had to beg our waiter to stop placing more food in front of us. Two hours in Palm Court left me satiated both physically and spiritually. I had drunk in enough of the beautiful décor, the melodic piano music, the superior service and the wonderful sensation of feeling swank and special. The Ritz is definitely more than tea, it’s an experience.
If, unfortunately, time, distance and price make afternoon tea at the Ritz in London impossible, do not despair, there are options in Philadelphia for even the snobbiest tea drinker. The Four Season on Logan Square offers tea every afternoon from 3 to 4:30 in its Swann Lounge. Additionally, the Rittenhouse Hotel’s Mary Cassatt Tea Room and Garden also offers an English style tea daily from 2-5pm. However, for a different type of tea experience, try Ray’s Cafe and Tea House in China town, where you can enjoy their bubble tea or their famous coffee (if that’s how you roll), while nibbling on Taiwanese fare.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Tea at the Ritz
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
The Culture of Food & Eating
Everyone Eats: Understanding Food and Culture by Eugene Anderson is one of the many fascinating books we read in my anthropology class called “Food & Feasting: Archaeology of the Table” (I highly recommend it! Not for an easy A though . . . ). Yes its true, everyone who has the ability to eat, eats. But, one often forgets why we eat what we eat and the vast cultural differences that exist in food preferences. For most of us, food means pleasure. We eat to enjoy, savoring both the tastes and nostalgia associated with that food. More often than not, foods that we were raised with are our favorites. This goes right back to the womb! Not only do babies learn to love sweet and milky foods; they also learn to love foods like garlic, onions and chiles, whose powerful flavors print through in the milk. According to Anderson, some mothers self-consciously eat their ethnic foods when nursing their babies, so that these tastes are ingrained into their children’s food preferences. As a child gets older, these “innate” preferences are further influenced by “what everyone else eats”- this means different things in different cultures. In America, it might be white bread, hamburgers and ketchup, while in rural parts of Zambia, a list of “favorite foods” might include caterpillars, millet mush and hippo meat!
Another astounding factor I read about is the universal tendency to avoid foods identified with poverty. For instance, sweet potatoes- that are viewed as delicacies in many parts of the world- are detested in China and parts of the American South, because they were “poverty foods” in these places. Another interesting example the processed meat known as Spam; this food item was frequented tables during World War II in countries like United Kingdom, and consequently became stigmatized. The same meat, however, is used creatively and regularly in Hawaiian cuisine.
Perhaps more obvious is the fact that the availability of a food influences its “status” in a society. An excellent example of this includes caviar in Russia- it was introduced into the diet because it was widely available. However, as time progressed, overfishing made this item rare, and now it is predominantly a luxury food.
Personal taste is probably the overruling factor; there is a scale of “openness to the exotic” that often comes into play when deciding where to eat out on a Friday night- Tex-mex or Ethiopian? One is always in search of the perfect combination of familiar and new, but there are some food traditions that are not effaceable. Those who ate homemade bread every day cannot stand the taste of factory-made bread and will even actively avoid it, while those who grew up in typical Southern American society insist on putting oil, butter, AND cheese in their eggs. And of course, there are the South Asians who will drown the very same eggs in Tabasco. Some call these stereotypes, but really--pardon the pun--it's all in good taste.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Braised Chicken with Apples and Honey - Kosher for Passover!
For those who observe it, the Jewish holiday of Passover offers some very difficult culinary hurdles to overcome: no yeast, no leavened bread, and no legumes (for reasons I can't quite fathom). But by focusing on the foods that are acceptable to eat, anyone can come up with some delicious meals to last the eights days of Passover. This braised chicken recipe can be made a few different ways, but it's kosher for Passover in this form.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups apple juice
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
5 apples(your favorite tart apple) evenly sliced
1 medium onion sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs boneless chicken breast
Directions:
Sweat the sliced onion in a small sauce pan until soft. Then add apple juice, honey and water to the small sauce pan and reduce mixture, whisk if necessary to dissolve the honey quickly. In a deep pan that is large enough to hold all of the chicken, heat up the olive oil on medium-high heat and brown the chicken on both sides. Then add the sliced apples, ground cinnamon and the reduced apple juice mixture to the chicken and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, basting every so often.
Note: A non-Kosher for Passover alternative to this recipe would be to use hard apple cider and add a pinch of chili powder with the ground cinnamon. Either way will give you a delicious chicken dish.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Superfood Synergies
Perhaps you’ve always intuitively eaten certain foods together out of habit or because they taste great together. Or maybe you’ve never before considered pairing some of these foods. Either way, certain food combinations work together in synergy to maximize their health benefits to you. Try these food combinations to lower cancer risk, strengthen bones, boost immunity, and get better skin!
Pair: Salsa and Avocado
Get: Lower cancer risk
No wonder Mexican cuisine always combines salsa and guacamole! A study in Ohio State University found that the healthy monounsaturated fat in avocado helps you absorb four times more of the cancer-fighting lycopene and almost three times more of the immune-boosting beta-carotene in the salsa than just eating salsa alone.
Also try: Tomato with Olive Oil. Lycopene in tomato is a fat-soluble nutrient, so the olive oil can help you soak it up.
Pair: Iron-Fortified Cereal & Orange Juice
Get: Even More Energy
This breakfast combination is a great way to get supercharged for your morning classes! Nutritionists at Boston University say that drinking half a cup of orange juice along with iron-fortified cereal increases the amount of iron absorbed by six times. Getting enough iron is one of the best ways to feel enhance energy.
Also try: Marinate iron-rich tofu with ½ cup of fresh orange juice, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, and 2 minced garlic cloves. Grill over medium heat and enjoy!
Pair: Peanut Butter & Milk
Get: Super Strong Bones
A peanut butter sandwich with milk is not only a classic lunch, but also a super-healthy combination. Peanut butter is packed with the heart-healthy monounsaturated fat which helps you maximize your absorption of milk’s vitamin D, which helps build your bones. Make a peanut butter smoothie by blending together 1 cup of low-fat or skim milk, 1 teaspoon peanut butter, 1 banana, and ½ cup of ice.
Also try: almond butter, tahini (sesame paste), cashew butter, or any nut-butter with milk.
Pair: Cantaloupe & Yogurt
Get: Extra Immunity Boost
Cantaloupe is excellent just by itself, but you may want to eat it with yogurt to maximize your body’s benefit! The zinc in yogurt helps your body get almost 100% utilization of the virus-fighting vitamin A in the cantaloupe. This super healthy combo makes for a wonderful snack or dessert.
Also try: Beef tenderloin with roasted carrots. Beef is packed with zinc which helps you to absorb the vitamin A in the sweet, succulent carrots. Another great combination is spinach with sweet potatoes.
Pair: Green Tea & Lemon
Get: Heart Support
Here’s a post-meal treat that your body will love you for. Try squeezing a lemon into your green tea. Your body will be able to use five times more catechin, an antioxidant that supports heart health. A Purdue University study found that this is because vitamin C helps to slow the breakdown of catechins in the digestive system. If you don’t have fresh lemon, you can use pre-squeezed lemon juice for the same benefit.
Also try: Dark chocolate with strawberries. Chocolate is another great source of catechin, and the vitamin C in strawberries helps your body use the antioxidant more efficiently. Truly a match made in heaven dessert!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Test Your Culinary Clout!
1. The popular kind of pasta known as "linguine" translates into:
a) Little threads
b) Little tongues
c) Little ribbons
d) Little bells
2. This food has long been known as a symbol for eternity. Ancient Egyptians took an oath of office with their right hand on it and Byzantine architects used its symbolic shape in the design of their religious structures. What food is it?
a) Bread
b) Tomato
c) Onion
d) Potato
3. Among the 50 foreign countries where Spam is sold, which two countries are the biggest markets?
a) Rhodesia and Mexico
b) Russia and China
c) Canada and Poland
d) UK and South Korea
4. Cheese fondue originated in:
a) Switzerland
b) Germany
c) France
d) Britain
5. Natural vanilla flavoring comes from what flower?
a) Honeysuckle
b) Orchid
c) Lily
d) Magnolia
Check back tomorrow for the answers!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Friday Blog Lovin' - SMEEP!
I have blown up countless peeps in the microwave, but melting them has never served a greater purpose, until now. Behold the Smeep. Part s'more, part peep, all delicousness. Check out this blog for more fun and tasty ideas!
Note: Click here to see the original post.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Rim Cafe's Volcano
I stumbled on this quirky cafe near the Italian Market one weekend and what a pleasant surprise:) Rim's electic mix of furnishings and an occasional jazz quartet practicing for a gig lends itself to a feeling of being transported out of the city to bohemia. Rene, the owner, personally tends to the making of the signature hot chocolate that Rim is famous for. The beverage is flamboyantly named Volcano and this definitely upped my expectations, especially with the visible hype in the form of awards plastered all over the cafe's windows and walls.
As Rene hums and sings, he fusses over our orders, grating a dizzying array of dark and milk chocolate, cinammon, and spices on top of a tall glass of hot chocolate. It was almost like a chef plating an elegant dessert. He definitely has that flair of being a performer and it's a spectacle just watching him preparing the drink in a non-chalant but still meticulous manner.
Sipping the Volcano for the first time, it was clear that this was no ordinary hot chocolate. Make no mistake - this is THE hot chocolate to savor, especially on a cold wintry day. Volcano is such an apt name because it's more a lava-licious glass of molten chocolate warm mousse than it is a beverage. And unlike normal hot chocolate, it's not as sweet and the hints of spices and grated dark chocolate make it a truly unique treat.
While the Volcano is more pricey than most hot chocolate in other cafes (it's priced at $5 each), it is truly deserving of its hype, various awards, and multiple repeat visits. . . .
Taste of Philly!
For those of you who missed “Taste of Philly” this past Thursday, here’s a quick recap. Hosted by Alpha Phi Omega, Penn’s co-ed service fraternity,“Taste of Philly” featured food taken from the diverse culinary culture found in our city. Many of our campus’ hotspots donated food and gift certificates to the event. The menu included: Mini-cheesesteaks from Pat’s Steaks, pork rolls and various appetizers from Sang Kee, Fettucine Alfredo courtesy of Maggiano’s, and assorted desserts from Asia Bakery. Jimmy John’s, Davios, Bistro St. Tropez, Roy’s Restaurant, Kabul, Dahlak, and Bubble House also donated various goods!
On a non food-y note, there were also performances by Freaks of the Beat, Simply Chaos, PennSori, Chord on Blues, Chinese Music Society, Pan-Asian Dance Troupe, and Ya’lla to serenade us while we dined.
Finally, all proceeds were donated to “Givology”, an organization devoted to helping children in developing countries receive an education. For those of you who were there, we hope you had fun and enjoyed sampling the various tastes of Philly. For those who missed it, I better see you there next year!
