• Both Meal Ticket and Under the Button report on the opening of Kitchen, a new West Philly restaurant started by a Penn senior
• Food meets science: Would you eat lab-grown meat? - Time
• Philadelphia Magazine reports on a cheesesteak cookie and reviews its favorite red-velvet-inspired desserts
• Girl Scouts testing plan to discontinue six varieties of their cookies - Wall Street Journal
• Midtown Lunch reviews King Kabob food truck at 38th & Spruce
• Oprah and 378 of her staffers take a one-week vegan challenge - Oprah.com
• Penn Gastronomy Club has two exciting events coming up: All-you-can-eat Distrito and Sushi Making at Pod
• 34th Street reviews RIM Café and tells us where we can get nachos for Super Bowl Sunday
• Philly Homegrown tells us how to celebrate Valentine's Day locally
• Recognizing National Carrot Cake Day on February 3, Uwishunu lists their top carrot cake picks around the city
• The politics of food: TreeHugger explains the consequences of the recent deregulation of genetically engineered alfalfa
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Blog Bites: A Round-Up of the Week's Top Food Stories
Saturday, February 5, 2011
The Trials of Cooking for One
Not long ago, I was walking through a bookstore and my twin pointed out The Pleasures of Cooking for One, a small cookbook on the shelf. “Maybe I will get this for you,” she joked, and I looked at her, offended at the insinuation – that I would be alone, cooking for myself sometime in the future. Alas, my dear aunt destroyed any trace of self-righteous indignation when she presented me with the cookbook during the next holiday season. I realized rather quickly that instead of suggesting I was doomed to a lifetime of solitude and Boeuf Bourginon (serving: 1), the gift was merely a recognition of the fact that at college, one often cooks for herself.
Being the chef of my family, I will be honest – this is a struggle for me. When I buy ingredients at the Fresh Grocer, I think in portion sizes of 5 or more, rather than the one that is all I really require. It got to the point last year where friends knew to call me just shortly after dinner time and ask if I had plans, expecting an invite to dig into my generous amount of “leftovers.” In short, I had a problem. How do you cook chili or quiche for just one person? And is one serving really worth the dishes and effort it takes to make a full meal? I was unwilling to give up my balanced dinners (meat, vegetable, starch) just because I was now a solitary diner.
Ah, the challenges of cooking for one. I'd realized I had a problem (the first step in fixing it) and after looking through my new cookbook, I went about trying to solve it. Through trial and error, I've come up with some pretty good steps to making delicious, healthy and balanced food just for one.
1) Buy meat in portions that you can eat one at a time – individually wrapped chicken breasts (freeze the rest); pre-cooked chicken sausage and eggs are my favorite.
2) Purchase vegetables that are either frozen and can be used a little at a time, or that you really like so that you can eat them consecutively for a few days. Edamame and carrots are good for this. Another point – if you use half of a pepper in a recipe, slice up the rest for a good snack or addition to your lunch the next day.
3) For starch – quinoa, pasta, rice, lentils and other grains can be cooked in batches of 3 or 4 servings and spread out through the week. This saves you time and effort later when you want to quickly add a starch to your dinner, and you can dress them differently.
4) Have a few delicious dressings/sauces on hand (Newman’s Sesame Ginger Dressing, ingredients for Balsamic vinaigrette, and teriyaki are some of my favorites) to add flavor to your meats, veggies and starches without having to go to extreme lengths.
I still end up with leftovers (which I have gotten a lot better about eating) and of course still love sharing food with good friends. But these steps have helped me cut down on a lot of waste (both monetarily and food-wise).
Here are some easy ideas for some simple dinners for one:
SAUSAGE, PEPPER AND ONIONS
Ingredients
2 pre-cooked Trader Joe’s chicken sausages
1 pepper (color your choice)
½ yellow onion
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
soft roll OR salad greens
Directions
Slice pepper and onions and sautée over medium heat until soft and slightly browned, set aside and season to taste. Cut sausage into ½ inch pieces and sautée in remaining oil until crispy and heated through. Place on roll or salad greens and serve warm.
CRUSTLESS QUICHE FOR 1
Ingredients
3 eggs
¼ c grated cheese
1 tbsp milk
½ c sautéed or steamed vegetables (of your choice)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat eggs, cheese, milk, salt and pepper together. Lay out vegetables on bottom of baking dish 5” or less in diameter. Bake until cooked through and beginning to brown on the top (about 25 minutes). Let cool slightly and serve.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Brewer's Plate 2011
Come out for the 7th Annual Brewer's Plate for a gourmet sampling from the Philadelphia area's best breweries, restaurants, artisanal producers and farmers! Taste what this region has to offer, while watching food demonstrations and listening to live music.
4-8 pm, March 13, 2011
Penn Museum
3260 South Street, Philadelphia
Tickets on sale now at fairfoodphilly.org/
Fogo de Chão
This past week, my friends and I finally gave into our curiosity and ventured into the famous--or rather infamous--meat-lover’s paradise known as Fogo de Chão during Restaurant Week. Not knowing quite what to expect, I was surprised at how busy the restaurant was at merely 5 on a Friday evening, a time when most other places are only just receiving their first diners. Restaurant Week is a great time to try Fogo de Chão, as the menu is completely identical to the regular one. No simplified or modified choices here.
After sitting down, I was given a plate to help myself at the gourmet salad bar. It was definitely impressive: a wheel of parmgiano reggiano, fresh mozzarella, smoked salmon, prosciutto, fresh greens, roasted bell peppers, and more. So fresh! So crisp! Even creamy and normally heavy salads, such as chicken or potato, were somehow light.
The asparagus was not woody but tender. The smoked salmon had a slight chew and was wonderfully smoky and flavorful. The slice of salami was quite sharp. I’m not sure what the green dressing was, but it had a peppery bite. In the front of the plate was a creamy apple and raisin salad that was refreshingly tart.
Included in the meal were dishes of constantly refilled polenta cakes, garlic mashed potatoes and fried bananas. The bananas were a good foil to the meats that followed: sweet, a little crispy, and cut beautifully through the richness of the grilled steaks.
As for the steaks, where to begin? Once I flipped the coaster over to green, there was a constant stream of “gaucho chefs” or Brazilian cowboy style waiters that would stop at the table and ask if I was interested in a particular steak or cut of meat. There were 15 options, though after awhile, it became difficult to keep track of which ones I’d tried and which ones I hadn’t. But the best out of the bunch was definitely the filet mignon wrapped with bacon. It was incredibly tender and juicy. And the picanha, or top sirloin, was also wonderful.
And after eating an embarrassing amount of meat in one sitting, my friends and I waddled from our seats with the most content smile stretched across our faces. I would definitely recommend Fogo de Chão if you are in search of a hearty meal and excellent service. Just be sure to arrive hungry.
Fogo de Chão
1337 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215.636.9700
Thursday, February 3, 2011
The Capital Grille
I arrived at the Capital Grille for lunch completely soaked. While trying to cross the street, I’d slipped and fallen into an icy puddle. However, if the maître d’ noticed the trail of slush I left behind me on my way to the table, she didn’t mention it. The restaurant was warm and bustling. I didn’t have a reservation, but I only had to wait for a few minutes before being seated. After perusing the Restaurant week specials, I ordered the clam chowder, lobster burger and crème brulée. The clam chowder came in a small cup with a packet of oyster crackers. The soup was hot and smooth, but the flavors were underwhelming. I enjoyed the lobster burger—just the right amount of salt, citrus and chew—and the bun was soft without being soggy, although there was far too much lettuce crammed into the sandwich. The tartar sauce was deliciously tangy; the fries passable but not remarkable. Then the crème brulée was served. It was extremely sweet. As someone who enjoys making and eating dessert above all other things, I have an unusually high tolerance for sugar, but this was too much even for me. Too much sugar distracts from the subtleties in a dish—and if it weren’t for the sugar, I’d have been better able to appreciate the crème brulée’s creaminess. Overall, the meal was worth the $20 I paid, but if I’d been shelling out regular prices, I would have left disappointed.
The Capital Grille
1338 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215.545.9588
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The Insatiable Journalist Part 1: I Write Food
I like food. And I like words.
At my home growing up, we had an archive of Bon Appetit magazines dating back to the '80s. Sometimes, when I was cooking for a birthday or a special event, I would delve into them in the hopes of uncovering a vintage delicacy. Hours later I would end up with too many options spread out around me, tracing out a trail from whatever I started off looking for into increasingly less relevant but equally tempting options.
When I left for college, I signed up for my own subscription to Bon Appetit - even though I spent my first two years eating dinning hall food on the meal plan - just to read and drool over. Now that I'm finally cooking for myself, I've begun acquiring my own enviable stack of Bon Appetits and cookbooks that rest alongside classics like The Odyssey on my bookshelf.
I have a collection of Craig LaBan restaurant reviews that I read cover-to-cover, like a novel.
What I'm trying to say is, I don't just eat food - I read food, I talk food and, as an aspiring journalist, I write food.
Restaurant reviews, mostly. But this semester I've been given a wonderful opportunity (courtesy of ENGL 170) to research and write about whatever I want in popular culture. And what I want is to report some sort of breaking news in the comprehensive and under-appreciated Philadelphia restaurant scene.
The idea was simple at first: find a restaurant opening right at the end of the semester-long project and follow it from now until then, documenting the inevitable ups and downs of the process. This idea presented two major obstacles: knowledge and access. I need to know about an intended restaurant opening several months in advance, and I need the opportunity to find out more than just what's in the press clips.
Overcoming the first of these obstacles is currently underway courtesy of various professional contacts and a healthy dose of not taking no for an answer. In fact, the process of opening a new restaurant may yet be the story I write if the right characters reveal themselves. But along the way I've become emotionally invested in a story that has nothing to do with opening.
If you're interested in these sorts of things (and if you're reading this, you probably are) you've heard that Philadelphia culinary landmark, Le Bec Fin, was supposed to close this year. After 40 years of waking up at 4 am to bring freshness to the restaurant that started a Renaissance, Chef and Owner Georges Perrier was giving up the fight to stay relevant in a food scene that is becoming more about hip celebrity chefs and concept dishes and less about the old-school glamor of dining out that he so famously brought to Philly. But earlier this month, Chef Perrier announced that Le Bec Fin will no longer be closing. Instead, the restaurant will be celebrating its 40th anniversary with a new lease on life. As a self-proclaimed foodie I'm curious: can an old dog learn new tricks? Is this a much-needed wake up call--that newer is not always better and there is still a place for classically good food? Or is this just the final stand of a man who refuses to accept that pride comes before a fall?
I don't yet know how this will turn out, or even which story I'll be writing. I've spoken with the public relations people for Georges Perrier but also the people representing Jose Garces and numerous other restaurants and restaurateurs in the city. I'm excited to get started--to become an investigative journalist entrenched in even just a single aspect of the the Philly food scene. And I'm excited to share the entire experience right here.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Comfort Food in Rittenhouse Square
When I was growing up, my mother’s Italian food was the bedrock of my culinary experience. It was the first cuisine I learned to eat, love and cook. My mother’s sauce (Italian by way of New Orleans) is still my go-to recipe when I want to eat something that just tastes good.
As a freshman at Penn, I missed my home kitchen and the food that came from it. That year, I was walking with friends in Rittenhouse Square. We were hungry and stopped for dinner at Pietro’s on 17th and Walnut. After a perusing the menu, I picked the rigatoni alla vodka. When the food arrived, the aroma of the warm dish full of pasta and savory pancetta gave me the experience I had been craving: Italian-American home cooking. The portions are large enough to share family style, though not knowing that on my first visit, I happily got two meals out of one dish of the rigatoni.
Over the last two years, I have been back to Pietro’s countless times. I’ve gone with my friends, on dates, with my parents. The large portions and array of delicious items make the more the merrier (although the volume in the restaurant can make it difficult to hear conversations in parties of more than five or six).
There are several dishes that I recommend: the rigatoni alla vodka (this dish is the reigning favorite among all of the people whom I’ve taken to Pietro’s; I always order it with pancetta); the pollo villaggio, my favorite (chicken, peppers, onions and sausage with tomato sauce; I like to order it with spinach fettuccine for more color). My friends and I also enjoy the gemelli arugula and pollo (the only caveat is that its texture and color are one note; better for picky friends) and the insalata Florentine (spinach, golden raisins, pine nuts and gorgonzola with a citrus vinaigrette; this is a wonderful salad, but I have a difficult time forgoing a pasta dish in favor of this one).
For those craving Italian-American comfort food, I heartily recommend Pietro’s.
Pietro's Pizza
1714 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215.735.8090
Monday, January 31, 2011
Bento Box Art
So I stumbled upon (but actually “Stumbled Upon”, with the StumbleUpon toolbar) these adorable little bento creations. For those of you that don’t know what a bento is, it’s basically a Japanese boxed lunch that usually consists of rice, fish or meat, and vegetables. Bento boxes are often arranged in a style called “kyaraben” (“character bento”) or “oekakiben” (“picture bento”), where people artfully create cartoon characters or other pictures out of the food in a bento box. Clearly the Japanese take this art pretty seriously if they have formal terms for what is essentially playing with food.
I have to be honest in saying that these don’t exactly look like the most appealing meals. I’m not going to lie: a monster made out of blue rice and a Mona Lisa made out of seaweed are a little bit disconcerting; I’m not sure I’d want to eat that. Nonetheless, I give these Bento artists serious credit for putting so much time into creating some really adorable (Wall-E and Tinkerbell) and some really weird (legs and Mozart) edible creations that only last until they’re eaten by ravenous mouths.
Look here for more: http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2009/05/08/17-amazing-bento-food-art-creations/
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Blog Bites: A Round-Up of the Week's Top Food Stories
• 34th Street reviews Fu–Wah Mini Market’s banh mi, a Vietnamese hoagie
• Foodspotting reveals the 20 Most Popular Dishes In Philadelphia - Uwishunu
• Yikes: only 36% of Taco Bell’s taco meat is actually beef - Gizmodo
• Penn student reviews Picnic – Midtown Lunch
• Blackbird Pizzeria, Philly’s first and only vegan pizzeria, is celebrating Vegan Pizza Day on Saturday – Philadelphia Daily News
• The politics of food: Civil Eats explains food policy journalism
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Pesto Pasta
Pesto pasta is simple and delicious. When I sit down to a plateful, I am reminded of its pleasant green color, nutrient-rich ingredients, and savory taste, I know that I’ve made an excellent dinner decision. All of the ingredients for this dish can be found at Trader Joe’s; the 2.5 oz. packages of basil in their herb section are the perfect amount for this recipe. If you can’t find toasted pine nuts at the store, you can toast your own raw pine nuts in a frying pan with a pinch of salt. They are done when they turn light brown.
Adapted from a recipe by Tamra Davis.
Ingredients
1 16-ounce package of spaghetti
1 cup toasted pine nuts
3 cloves garlic
2 cups basil leaves (washed, packed somewhat tightly)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
½ cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup water
salt and pepper
Directions
1. Put pasta in pot of boiling, salted water.
2. While pasta is cooking, blend pine nuts, garlic, basil, parmesan, and olive oil in blender until smooth.
3. Add water, lemon juice, and plenty of salt and pepper to taste to the pesto. Blend again.
4. One minute before pasta is done, heat pesto in a pan.
5. Drain pasta and mix with warm pesto.
6. Serve topped with parmesan.
Serves: 4
Time: 30 minutes
