Foodaphilia

Summer Time

2011-08-05T07:38:00.002-04:00

It's been a hot summer so far in Philadelphia. Luckily, for me, Reading Terminal Market is air conditioned and standing in front of hot ovens all day hasn't been too bad. We'be been experimenting with new whoopie pie flavors, this one is my favorite so far.

We also made my favorite version of Pumpple Cake with seasonally available summer fruits. In this case it's fresh blueberries and tart cherries. This cake is available by the slice, every Saturday and Sunday, for just $9. Each slice should feed 3-4 people.

And an exciting heads up: September 1st we start transitioning to Fall flavors. This means the return of the original Pumpple Cake as well as the return of everybody's favorite: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies!

Cooking Demonstration at Reading Terminal Market

2011-06-16T06:51:00.000-04:00

One of the best things about being a merchant in Reading Terminal Market is the commraderie between other foodie owners and vendors. Collaboration is a beautiful thing and you'll see why when you stop by the joint Cajun/Creole Cooking Demonstration sponsored by Beck's Cajun Cafe and the Pennsylvania General Store on Saturday, June 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Piano Court at the Reading Terminal Market. Chef Bill Beck will be featuring dishes made with his new Kitchen Pantry Spices including Beck’s Angel Dust, Devil Dust and Rub-a-Dub Rub. Come and sample culinary creations including Angelic Chicken, Creole Shrimp, Cajun Steak and Blackened Catfish. The event is FREE.

Cajun Shrimp

Angelic Chicken

Blackened Catfish

Cajun Ribeye

I had the pleasure of using all three of the spice rubs over Memorial Day weekend and I have my personal favorite. You should head down to Reading Terminal on Saturday, check out this FREE event and do a little taste tasting of your own. When you've decided which spice mix rubs you the right way, Beck's carries the entire line for retail purchase.

Summer Cocktail Cakes

2011-06-14T08:35:00.001-04:00

At The Flying Monkey Bakery we love to bake with booze. Check out this post for some pictures and menu items that highlight summer cocktail flavors baked into cakes and cupcakes!

Hunk of Burning Love

2011-06-14T08:33:00.001-04:00

New Post is up on The Flying Monkey Bakery Blog. Find out where you can enjoy my most popular cake around Philadelphia.

Heat Up the Night - Valentine to the Market 2011

2011-02-16T12:59:00.002-05:00

Reading Terminal Market is gearing up for a special night, Heat Up the Night Valentine to the Market! The night is filled with dining, dancing, drinking, celebrity chefs and guests and live entertainment on three stages. Valentine to the Market is a gala event to raise funds for the Reading Terminal Market Preservation Fund and will be used to preserve and enhance the historic Reading Terminal Market for future generations.

The event is rain, snow or shine on Saturday, February 26th. Most merchants are either attending the event or providing nibbles for the evening, and you can attend, too! Tickets are still available online at Party Tickets Online

At The Flying Monkey, we're donating some of our signature goodies to the VIP gift bags and our stall will be open for the dessert and dance party, where we'll be serving mini whoopie pies, mini cupcakes and our delicious cake truffles. Hope to see you there!

Lunches at Reading Terminal Market

2011-02-09T13:34:00.005-05:00

I have a terrible problem every time I fail to bring my lunch to work, where should I eat? I know that I'm spoiled rotten working in Reading Terminal Market with so many great choices for lunch, but it's a hard decision unless I have a particular taste for something specific.

I hope to find the time to do a series of posts, (not reviews!) about my lunch experiences working in one of the greatest public markets in the country. All of the merchants at Reading Terminal Market are my colleagues and friends and therefore what I have to say here about their offerings should be considered nothing more than me singing the praises of my fellow merchants.

So, amongst all the choices, who is first? The new kid on the block before I was the new kid on the block, Beck's Cajun Cafe.

Bill Beck is the chef/owner of this popular Cajun eatery just one aisle off of center court. A few vegetarian options are available every day, but this place is really for those who get excited about meat (Alligator Sausage!!) Beck's also does a great job of honoring traditional recipes while infusing creative twists.

Behold, the Trainwreck:

The po'boys are great, but if Beck's has a signature sandwich, the Trainwreck is it. It's a cheesesteak with the addition of Andouille sausage, salami, cheese, onions and some of their homemade Creole mayonnaise.

Three of us split this for lunch one day and couldn't finish it despite the fact it was delicious, it's just that big.

Other Order Worthy Menu Items: Bread Pudding with Pears and Whiskey Sauce, Shrimp Po'boy, Muffaletta, Alligator Gumbo, Any of the Breakfast options

Welcome!

2011-01-18T09:12:00.000-05:00

As of October 1st, The Flying Monkey is under new ownership.

The location and the name are the same, but all the sweets have undergone a major flavor overhaul. All of the recipes are new and much improved! Fresh and seasonal ingredients are now the star of the show. We make delicious whoopie pies, cupcakes and cakes in a variety of fun and seasonal flavors. Additionally, we have a creative array of brownies, blondies and bars.

One of the major innovations of the new ownership is our Pumpple Cake. We started making this big beautiful hybrid cake/pie in early October, just a week or so after I took over and we've been selling out daily ever since. The national press has been all over the Pumpple cake. Our cake/pie hybrid has made television appearances on NBC's Today Show, Food Network's Outrageous Food and The Rachael Ray Show. We're honored to receive the press and are glad so many folks have come down to the bakery for a slice since seeing our mammoth confection on TV.

We hope to keep this blog updated with new items we have available at the Flying Monkey as well as news and updates about our infamous Pumpple Cake.

If you've had a not so great experience in the past with The Flying Monkey we urge you to try us again. It's a completely different bakery than you've seen in years past. We're sure you'll love the new versions of our goodies as much as we do.

Follow us on Twitter @FlyngMnkyPhilly

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Flying-Monkey-Patisserie/159188740770

Thanks,

E

Pumpple Cake on Today!

2010-10-25T19:18:00.004-04:00

So a few days ago my friend Shane and I drove to New York with a few 15 pound cakes in my trunk. We brought them to NBC studios for an appearance on The Today Show. Please check out the clip below as well as the accompanying story.

Slice of Pumpple Cake are available most days at the Flying Monkey in Reading Terminal Market. Slices from our 9 inch cake are $8 and feed 3-4. A whole cake can be ordered with 72 hours advance notice for $75 and feeds more than 40. Sorry, we can not ship the Pumpple Cake.

Pumpple Cake

2010-10-07T05:30:00.001-04:00

I want to share something amazing with all of you. The Pumpple cake. Apple and pumpkin pies are baked inside layers of chocolate and vanilla cake! Vanilla buttercream holds the whole thing together.

It's taller than it is in diameter and every inch is packed with love. We make the pie crust from scratch with only real butter, peel and prep the apples and mix up the pumpkin with sugar and spices. Our signature chocolate and vanilla cakes bake up around the pies making each layer one cohesive unit of awesome.

If you've heard of or tried turducken, here is the dessert equivalent. At The Flying Monkey in Reading Terminal Market, we think this cake is going to be the highlight of our entire autumn. Please visit us for a slice or to place an order for a whole cake. We're open M-Saturday 8 to 6pm and Sundays 9 to 5pm.

The Next Step

2010-09-13T12:22:00.004-04:00

This post marks a huge turning point in my life and my writing here on Foodaphilia. It's a really exciting and busy time for me as I'm buying my own bakery!

October 1st, I will be the owner of The Flying Monkey Patisserie located in the famous Reading Terminal Market. I'm changing up the menu and bringing in my recipes, whoopie pies and my signature cakes that have been made popular at A Full Plate Cafe.

This blog has been a huge part of my life for the past five years, and helped to solidify the idea that I needed to devote my life to my culinary talents. Foodaphilia started with the need to write about something fun and relieve some of the pressure and stress associated with my academic life. After leaving school last summer, and immersing myself completely in the business of making a living from food related endeavors, I found myself having so little time, that posts here became rare.

From now on Foodaphilia is a site devoted to the business of baking full-time. The archives will remain for you to enjoy, but I will no longer review restaurants or do any product reviews or endorsements. I hope you continue reading and I really hope to see you at The Flying Monkey for a sweet treat sometime soon!

Thanks for being part of this ride,

e

The Best of Vacation

2010-08-23T07:55:00.001-04:00

I just experienced a much needed long weekend in Maine with family. Hammock time and a midnight boat ride to admire the vivid Milky Way in the sky above the Northwoods was just what the doctor ordered.

I also ate my fair share of local bounty, including this gorgeous and delicious fellow above.

While returning to Philly I took the advice of New Hampshire's discount liquor stores (tax free shopping!) and stocked up on some much needed bar staples.

Back to work!

Cooking Channel Ice Cream Truck

2010-08-02T12:38:00.004-04:00

The Cooking Channel's Ice Cream Truck rolled into Philly last week and I was on call to snap some photos and meet up with Ching He-Huang, one of Cooking Channel's chef-hosts.

Free scoops of ice cream will almost always draw a crowd, and last Wednesday's stop was no exception. Cooking Channel staffers were swarming the crowd, recording interviews and collecting information on what Philadelphians love about Bassetts Ice Cream.

In honor of the event, Bassetts unveiled a new flavor, Guatemalan Ripple! From the Bassett's website: "Developed by WMMR's Preston & Steve, Guatemalan Ripple is a Guatemalan-sourced coffee base with mocha fudge ripple blended with mini coffee-filled chocolates. Available in dipping parlors in July"

After sampling a scoop of Bassetts new flavor, I had a few minutes to sit with Ching and dish about her food story.

E: You started your culinary business ventures when you were just 21, that's incredible! What was it like starting out on your own so young?

Ching: Looking back, it is a lot of hard work, I gave up most of my 20’s to working on building my business. At first, I bargained with this land lady for the use of her commercial kitchen on this strange office block. I struck a deal with her, and got three months free rent as a trial for my business. She was my guardian angel, really. But I’ve always loved food and It was the only thing I knew to do when I finished university. There was no other choice I was eating and working to live.

E: Any advice for other young food entrepnuers?

Ching: You need to have a passion for it. Being in food and the food industry is a tough choice, any business is tough, but with food its even tougher. If you truly want a proper food business as well, make sure you’re armed with all the information and research. You need to give it everything.

E: Do you like ice cream? Do you make it yourself? Any recipe you want to share?

Ching: I love ice cream, I have a sweet tooth. I love green tea, black sesame, mango, all the Chinese flavors. For me, a very simple recipe is using cream, sugar, and mixing in a mango puree using fresh as well as tinned mango for the depth of flavor. Blend it up, put it in the churner and then there you have it.

E: Your book and show are called Chinese Food Made Easy. Is Chinese food easy to cook?

Chinese food is easy. Sometimes, people email me and facebook me “Ching, this is not so easy! I’ve got to get like X,Y & Z!", but really, as long as you understand the steps to making Chinese food, of how to treat the ingredients, it is easy. It’s about what flavor combinations you enjoy and putting them into a dish in balance.

Make sure to check out Ching's show on the new Cooking Channel, Saturdays at 1pm!

And don't forget to check out Guatemalan Ripple next time you're at Reading Terminal Market or one of the many scoop shops that serve Bassetts Ice Cream.

A Full Plate's 4th Annual Rib Cook-Off

2010-08-01T20:27:00.002-04:00

Free Ice Cream

2010-07-23T07:00:00.001-04:00

Heat waves like the ones we've been experiencing recently in Philadelphia necessitate three things: water, air conditioning and ice cream. I've been enjoying the AC while indulging in the new Cooking Channel. Julia Child, The Galloping Gourmet and Two Fat Ladies? Yes! In addition to the array of vintage cooking shows featured on Cooking Channel, there are familiar personalities from the Food Network and some new faces to learn.

Lucky for Philadelphia, the Cooking Channel's Ice Cream Truck Tour is making a stop here before continuing across the country, featuring the best local products along the way. From 10:00am - 6:00pm on Wednesday, July 28th, this one of a kind ice cream truck will be parked at Reading Terminal Market serving up FREE scoops of Bassetts Ice Cream. To make the deal even sweeter, the star and host of Chinese Food Made Easy, Ching He-Huang, will be making an appearance at the truck. Lucky for me, as the official blogger for the tour stop in Philly, I'll be getting in on the deal by interviewing Ching and serving up some scoops.

Visit me and Ching He-Huang at Reading Terminal Market on Wednesday, July 28th and cool down with a FREE scoop of ice cream courtesy of Cooking Channel and Bassetts Ice Cream.

New Cake: Arnold Palmer

2010-06-10T08:16:00.000-04:00

After a friend and I indugled in a little too much FireFly Sweet Tea Vodka, we brainstormed the delicious idea to work some of that tasty liquor into a cake for A Full Plate.

Behold, the Arnold Palmer! Dense and moist lemon bundt cake is spiked with sweet tea vodka and then glazed with a lemon/sweet tea vodka glaze.

Come and get some at A Full Plate Cafe. This cake seems to be taking off, so look for it throughout the summer.

Beer Week Whoopie Pies

2010-06-09T11:10:00.002-04:00

Chocolate whoopie pies with Troegs java head stout cream filling. Available @greenaisle during Beer Week

The Water Club at The Borgata - My First Trip to Atlantic City, Part 1

2010-04-19T08:37:00.002-04:00

I've lived in Philly for over 7 years now and just recently made my first trip to Atlantic City. I know, I know, why did I waste so much time? As a friend put it, "What's next? You're going to tell us you've never been to Pat's or Geno's?"

My only defense is that I'm glad I waited to visit Atlantic City until I was invited by the good folks at The Borgata. I had a stellar time, and have not had a day off since the gluttonous Saturday I spent tasting dishes from each and every one of the restaurants housed in The Borgata. Needless to say, I'm remembering my experience there very fondly and I'm excited to return.

So aside from being driven to AC in style by a delightful driver named Francis, the room I stayed in at The Water Club was totally luxurious and beyond any expectation I may have had. A king sized bed, a TV that knew my name, a view of Trump Marina and a shower that rains down on you from the ceiling were just a few of the many touches that made me feel like a queen for the weekend.

After arrival and check-in, I was feeling a little peckish, so I ducked into The Sunroom, conveniently located by the front desk for a little snack and a drink.

The cheese plate was overflowing with cheese and some of the most luscious pitted dates I've ever eaten. Along with toasted bread, the cheese plate came with a delightful apple pastry, I assumed to be eaten the dark yellow aged cheese in the center of the plate. It was the perfect kick-off to the eating binge that was to follow in the evening as well as the next day.

Pretty soon it was time for dinner! And what a dinner it was at The Old Homestead Steakhouse where there was a big celebration as the restaurant served it's 1,000,000th customer! That is really quite a thing for a casino that hasn't been open for decades. As the one-millionth customer, Eric Schepp will receive dinner for two at the restaurant once a year for life from owners Greg and Mark Sherry. What a lucky guy! I hope he gambled a little bit after dinner to see if his lucky streak held!

We were treated to a delicious dinner with some of The Old Homestead's most popular menu items. I especially enjoyed the lump crab cake and the mapled pork belly.

During the fish course, we had a VIP guest who shared a very nice scotch with us. By the end of dinner I was stuffed and drunk, exactly how I wish every meal ended!

The Water Club at The Borgata is a separate hotel from the original Borgata Hotel and Casino, but it's just a short walk away from all the shopping, dining and gambling that The Borgata has to offer to guests. Stay tuned for another post devoted entirely to drinking and dining at all of the restaurants inside The Borgata.

The Water Club Hotel
1.800.800.8817
Reservations

Great American Bake Sale Rundown

2010-04-14T07:49:00.003-04:00

We're just days away from The Great American Bake Sale benefiting Share Our Strength. The event is being held on April 17th from 10-3pm at A Full Plate Cafe, the restaurant where I work and bake every day! April 17th also happens to be my birthday, so you really should come out to the Bake Sale and eat something sweet to raise money for kids who are in need of nutritious food and to celebrate my last year in my twenties! Oy vey.

Since we're just a few days away I thought I'd give you a little peek at to donation list to get your tastebuds going!

Hazelnut Anise Biscotti & Savory Cheese Crackers from Tastebuds & Tidbits

Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip & Raw Macarons from HelloPa

Snickerdoodles from Fries With That Shake

Casbah Cupcakes & Carbomb Cupcakes from Sweet Swallows

Peanut Butter Cookies & Lemon Sugar Cookies from Love Of Oats

Margarita Cupcakes from The Sunday Flog

Black Cocoa & Orange Zest Brownies from No Counter Space

Pints of Homemade Granola from Food in Jars

Vegan Peanut Butter Cinnamon Frosted Blondies from Living on the Vedge

Whole Grain Apple Pie Pockets from Apples & Cheese, Please

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels from Rhodey Girl Tests

Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Nut Cookies from Mac & Cheese

Elvis Cake, Cookies 'n Cream Whoopie Pies and maybe Cinnamon Rolls from Foodaphilia

Food Blogger Bake Sale for Share Our Strength

2010-04-07T08:04:00.000-04:00

On April 17th Food Bloggers from Philadelphia will be gathered with goodies for sale from their home kitchens in order to raise money for Share Our Strength. Funds raised through Great American Bake Sale support Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger in America. Nearly 17 million— almost one in four—children in America face hunger. Despite the efforts of governments, private-sector institutions and everyday Americans, millions of our children still don’t have daily access to the nutritious meals they need to live active, healthy lives. Click for more information on Share Our Strength.

Philadelphia's Great American Bake Sale is being held on April 17th from 10am till 3pm at A Full Plate Cafe on Liberties Walk (1009 N. Bodine St Philadelphia, PA 19123) in Northern Liberties (yes, this is the restaurant where I bake full-time) and snag goodies made by some of Philly's most beloved food bloggers! I'm donating some Cookies 'n Cream Whoopie Pies to the event and I know Sabrina of Rhodey Girl Tests is going to whip up some of her delectable chocolate and candy covered pretzel rods.

So, if you're a fan of food blogs, or just want to do your part to ensure kids across the country are getting the nutritious food they need, come on out to the National Food Bloggers Bake Sale and spend some money! All proceeds benefit Share Our Strength. If you can't make it to the bake sale, but would like to donate to the cause, please visit this link to make a safe and secure donation.

If you're a food blogger in Philly or the surrounding area and would like to donate a goodie to the bake sale, please contact Julie at jmdenouden@gmail.com and visit her post of the Great American Bake Sale here.

Flying Monkey & Philadelphia Flower Show

2010-03-01T23:58:00.000-05:00

The Philadelphia International Flower Show started this past Sunday and runs until March 7th. If you're in the city for the show and work up any sort of appetite, the best place to satiate your hunger is around the corner from the convention center at Reading Terminal Market. With dozens of vendors serving up local and regional favorites as well as extended hours during the week of the Flower Show, Reading Terminal Market is the best choice for a meal or snack.

One of the best choices in the market to satisfy your sweet tooth is The Flying Monkey Patisserie*. In the spirit of the Flower Show, The Flying Monkey is baking and frosting cupcakes with floral themes. If you're a fan of flowers and frosting you'll be guaranteed to find something you'll love.

Violet Lavender

Rose

Jasmine

If flower flavors aren't exactly your thing, The Flying Monkey offers a variety of other cupcake flavor combinations from Vanilla and Chocolate to Chai Tea and Lemon-Blackberry. If cake isn't your favorite, brownies and bars are available in unique flavors such as Orange Brownies or Santa Fe Brownies stuffed with cinnamon, cayenne and cocoa nibs.

Flying Monkey Patisserie
Reading Terminal Market
12th and Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA
215.928.0340

*Full Disclosure: I've been happily working early mornings at the Flying Monkey since September. This post is not intended to be a review of The Flying Monkey or The Reading Terminal Market. Just want to let you all know about these special cupcakes available all week long.

Mini ROOT and Red Velvet Cupcakes @ Art In The Age

2010-02-10T08:45:00.001-05:00

Starting today, Wednesday the 10th of February, when you're shopping for that perfect Valentine's gift for your sweetheart at Art In The Age, you can have a complimentary taste of my ROOT 'n Red Velvet Cake! I've also been making these cake at A Full Plate Cafe and will continue to keep it in stock through Valentine's Day.

I whipped up a bunch of these bite-sized liquor-infused cakes for Art in the Age and decorated each of them with a special Valentine's Day touch.

Sip on a Vanilla ROOT Fizz, also on the house, to wash down your cupcake. In addition to the free drink and cupcake, Art in the Age is offering FREE gift wrapping on all purchases and 20-40% off items storewide.

I know it's snowpocalyspe out there today, but if you're off work why not head down to Art in the Age for a little love?

Art in the Age
116 North 3rd Street (just north of 3rd & Arch)
Philadelphia, PA 19106

STORE HOURS:
Tuesday-Saturday: 11am-7pm
Sunday: 12pm-6pm
Closed Mondays

2010 is the year of Whoopie

2010-02-01T11:16:00.003-05:00

Whoopie Pies that is. I'm determined to give cupcakes a run for their money. Cupcakes are out and Whoopies are in. Especially if those whoopies are made by your very own Baker E!

The concept is simple: Two soft, cake-like cookies surround a luscious cream filling. But the possibilities are endless in terms of flavor combinations. Above you see the innards of a Cookies 'n Cream Whoopie.

Sweet buttermilk and a hint of cocoa are what make the Red Velvet Whoopies so special, and you can almost always pick one up at Green Aisle Grocery.

And there isn't a thing wrong with the classic whoopie, this is the type of whoopie pie I grew up on, but I've added premium vanilla to the cookies and real vanilla beans to the billowy filling.

You know you want one, so visit A Full Plate or Home Slice Pizzeria if your in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia or Green Aisle Grocery on E. Passyunk to get your Whoopie on.

Green Aisle Grocery

2010-01-20T09:05:00.002-05:00

Hey! You've probably heard by now about Green Aisle Grocery, a specialty grocery store lighting up East Passyunk with it's selection of locally prepared goods. Green Aisle Grocery is the labor of love of Adam and Andrew Erace.

They've gotten some great press in the local papers and most recently Green Aisle was the recipient of the 2009 Phoodie award for Best New Business. Congratulations! I've been lucky enough to have some of Baker E's products on the shelves in Green Aisle since they opened in November, so I figured it was about time to couple some shameless self-promotion with some legitimate promotion of this very cool grocery store.

The store may be small, but the space is packed to the gills with goodies you didn't even know you needed! If you live in the vicinity, Green Aisle is definitely the kind of place to go when you don't know what you want for dinner, but you're hungry and feel like cooking. Various types of lentils, rice, quinoa and other grains are available as well as cans of imported San Marzano tomatoes, convenient tubes of tomato paste, handcrafted pastas, and most recently tubs of Ekta Indian take-out!

Refrigerated products include an incredible dairy selection. Everything from half and half to raw milk is available for you to try at home. Vegan soups and cheeses, tempeh, soups from Cafe con Chocolate, Indian simmer sauces, yogurt, orange juice, fresh herbs and even edible flowers have graced the shelves of this grocery case.

Produce will rotate, as it should, depending on the season.

This fall I've noticed a selection of locally grown apples and pears, with some Myer lemon and lime imports.

Cocktail afficianados will go weak in the knees for the selection of alcohol accroutement, such as this collection of Fee Brothers Bitters.

Not many neighborhood groceries make a habit of carrying rose water or orange flower water, but products like this, as well as Pub & Kitchen's BBQ sauce, Zahav's hummus, and Johnson's caramel corn make Green Aisle Grocery a special place to shop.

There is no denying that part of my affection for Green Aisle comes from the fact that they carry a selection of Baker E's jams, curds, cookies and whoopie pies! If you haven't had the pleasure of trying a homemade whoopie pie you should run to Green Aisle right now and buy one, it's a delicious snack that will satisfy your sweet tooth for just $3!

Green Aisle Grocery
1618 East Passyunk Avenue
Philadelphia PA 19148
215.465.1411

Cake Parade

2010-01-10T10:32:00.005-05:00

I've got a post coming up for you soon about my (fairly) recent trip/eating binge in San Francisco with Foodbuzz. For now, since it's a holiday and holiday's deserve cake, I thought I'd take you on a small picture-heavy tour of what has been coming out of Baker E's kitchen lately.

Home-made lime curd (available for purchase at Green Aisle Grocery!) is sandwiched between layers of moist vanilla cake, topped with a light vanilla frosting and more lime curd, then decorated with strawberries.

Dense devil's food cake is layered with rich chocolate American buttercream, filled with marshmallow fluff. The whole thing is frosted with more chocolate buttercream and garnished with graham cracker crumbs and additional marshmallows.

Light chocolate cake is frosted with caramel cream cheese frosting, then drizzled with more caramel and finished with chocolate shavings.

This cake should only be attempted with blackberries are at their finest. Moist vanilla cake is frosted with Vanilla buttercream and stuffed and topped with ripe blackberries.

Mashed sweet potato added to vanilla buttermilk batter gives this cake a tender crumb and seasonal flare. Frosted with cream cheese frosting and garnished with pecans or walnuts.

White cake, marshmallow fillings and peanut butter buttercream.

Lime flavored cake, stuffed with home-made lime curd, covered with lime buttercream and garnished with graham cracker crumbs.

A classic birthday cake: Yellow cake with dark chocolate frosting and rainbow sprinkles.

Perfect for special occasions, mini red velvet cupcakes look exquisitely cute and taste just a nice. Look for my mini red velvet cupcakes spiked with Root Liqueur at Art in the Age, starting Feb 10th.

Best when strawberries are in season, layers of white or yellow cake are stuffed with a whipped vanilla frosting and tons of berries!

If you're in need of a cake, box of cookies or special dessert for any occasion, I would love to make it for you!

Please e-mail me at ContactBakerE@gmail.com. My website is coming soon!

Baker E

2009-12-02T10:16:00.004-05:00

A rotating selection of Baker E's cookies and whoopies are available at A Full Plate Cafe and Home Slice Pizzeria, both located on Liberties Walk.

Green Aisle Grocery, a cozy store focused on selling locally produced products also carries a rotating line of Baker E's cookies and whoopies as well as a selection of seasonal jams.

If you have groceries delivered from Farm Fresh Express or shop at their farmer's market in Lansdowne you can pick up Baker E's buttery pie crust or a jar of seasonal jam.

If you're interested in ordering dessert from Baker E's please email me ContactBakerE@gmail.com

Zahav

2009-11-04T09:32:00.008-05:00

Tomorrow morning I take off for the Foodbuzz Food Blogger Festival in San Francisco. This is an inaugural event for Foodbuzz, the online food community who provides food related advertising on my site. Aside from hosting the festival, Foodbuzz goes out of it's way to get foodies together to share new experiences in cities across the U.S. They hosted an amazing dinner at Fork for Philly bloggers last year, and just a few weeks ago we met up again at Zahav in the name of Foodbuzz.

Because we were all adventurous and willing to share, every person at the table ordered the three course tasting menu. This is probably one of the most worthwhile tasting menus in the city at just $36.

I'm a sucker for a good cocktail, especially if it involves some sort of lemon or lime component, I can't help it, citrus makes me weak in the knees! I thoroughly enjoyed the Lemonnana, a bourbon cocktail with muddled mint, fresh lemon juice and verbena. You can order this pretty drink by the pitcher, too!

Complimentary pickles and olives, as well as a three compartment tray of condiments (Za'atar, green chili paste and harissa) were brought out first and our knowledgeable server let us know the condiments were to be used throughout the meal to accentuate all of the dishes. Unfortunately, the little dish was lost amongst the many plates on our table, but fortunately no one felt that any dish was under seasoned enough to warrant the use of the additional condiments. The tasting menu starts with a tower of 8 salads, all vegetarian, and all but one gluten-free! As well as a large bowl of traditional hummus served with laffa bread and cucumber slices for our gluten-free diner. My favorite salads included the spiced pickled pumpkin, the stewed okra and the cous cous tabbouleh with pomegranate seeds.

The first round of small plates included a take on moussaka, served in it's own little skillet, eggplant was laced with kashkaval cheese and tomato. Fried cauliflower was served with labaneh sauce with chive, dill and garlic. Not being a huge fan of cauliflower, I liked the dish least at the table, it wasn't as crispy as I would have liked, but the sauce was divine. A generous portion of chopped liver was served with rye toast and sauteed cippolini onions. And lastly, the grilled duck hearts blew everyone away. Served atop dirty rice with toasted pine nuts, the duck hearts were meaty but tender under your teeth and melted in your mouth. I would jump at the chance to eat this dish again.

Stuffed peppers were also a big hit. Small paquillo peppers were loaded up with duck confit and almonds, then served with a warm salad of grapes. Sweet, savory and an unexpected win in my book. Also a big hit were the beef and lamb meatballs, spiced with cumin and served in a light tomato sauce over rice and beans. Similarly, a grilled merguez sausage was delicately spiced mixture of lamb and beef served with cous cous and a peppery matbucha sauce.

What tasting menu is complete without dessert? None in my opinion, and that's why Zahav's tasting menu is so wonderful. A wonderful starter, three small plates and dessert! I ordered the chocolate cake with tahini frosting. The cake was dark and rich with chocolate flavor, while the tahini frosting was lightly flavored with sesame but a bit on the grainy side.

Zahav brings a true taste of Israel to Old City and has one of the most worthwhile tasting menus available in Philly. Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike can leave Zahav feeling satisfied and perhaps exploring foods they never would have tried elsewhere. Don't skip trying a cocktail, they're totally worth it.

Zahav
237 Saint James Place
(At the base of Society Hill Towers)
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215.625.8800

Square Burger

2009-10-14T10:29:00.003-04:00

The most recent outing for Burger Club Philly had us trekking down to Franklin Square to check out Stephen Starr's Square Burger. Many had been there earlier in the summer, but it was my first visit to Starr's burger shack.

The menu is simple and straight forward, burgers, dogs, veggie burger, fries. Nothing too fancy, nothing too fussy. The original burger as it comes with cheese, ketchup, mustard and a relish made of chopped onions and pickles.

While it's not the most beautiful burger I've eaten, in fact it was rather sloppily put together, the slop did not diminish the delicious taste. I was really into the chopped onion and pickle relish, but could have used a bit less mustard. The burger was well done, the only way they cook them at this little shack, but it was juicy and I was happy with that despite the fact that I normally eat my burgers medium-rare. A Martin's potato roll kept all the toppings wrapped around the patty in a soft blanket of love.

Fries are rumored to be frozen, but they're fried up crispy and still maintain some of the skin, which always gets a big thumbs up from me. They were perfectly salty, and I'll take them over limp, hand-cut fries any day.

While native Philadelphians and butterscotch lovers swoon over the Cake Shake, this girl often finds butterscotch too sweet and overwhelming, so I skipped the infamous dessert drink and opted instead for the CMP sundae. The CMP combines vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, a heavy handed scoop of marshmallow sauce and salted peanuts. Topped with whipped cream and a cherry, this sundae made my Square Burger experience something to write home about. I loved the addition of the salty peanuts to a sweet dessert, and anything with marshmallow cream usually gets a stamp of approval from me, so this was definitely a win.

Square Burger
200 N. 6th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Open until the end of October!

Midtown Village Festival

2009-10-02T11:48:00.000-04:00

Looking for something to do this Saturday in Philly? Midtown Village, the area of Center City that runs from Spruce to Market and from Broad to 11th Street is celebrating Fall with a festival of specials and games.

The Midtown Village Festival is family friendly and open to anyone in Philly who wants to hang out in the city on what looks like its going to be only a slightly rainy fall day. Running from noon to 8pm, you can participate in Sumo wrestling sponsored by Raw Sushi, or just have a beer or two at the Oktoberfest sponsored by Time restaurant. Numerous area boutiques and restaurants have donated prizes and gift certificates to the raffle, so be sure to buy a ticket!

To learn more about Midtown Village, visit its website at www.midtownvillage.org.

Food Blogger Brunch @ National Mechanics

2009-10-02T08:23:00.004-04:00

My good friend Jess of Fries With That Shake is hosting a terrific event as part of the 215Festival, a Food Blogger Brunch at National Mechanics. The 215Festival is a celebration of words, whether spoken or written, so the Food Blogger Brunch will focus on discussion about popular words used in writing about food and I imagine a little bit on the process of writing about delectable and not so delectable things we eat.

Along with Jess and me, some great bloggers are part of the panel:

Taylor from Mac and Cheese
Collin from Phoodie
Drew from Meal Ticket
Ben from Unbreaded
Robyn from A Hamburger Today, and
The Girl Who Ate Everything

Anyone is invited to attend, so if you love brunch or food blogs, or both, this is totally the event for you. Also here's three words to get you down to National Mechanics: Bloody Mary Bar.

See you there, 11am - 2pm, this Sunday October 4th.

National Mechanics
22 South 3rd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 701-4883

Rust 'n Root Cupcake Video!

2009-10-01T10:02:00.001-04:00

The good folks at Art in the Age came by before A Full Plate's 3rd Annual Rib Cook Off to take a little video of me baking my Rust 'n Root Cupcakes. Check me out!

In The Kitchen With ROOT - Rust 'n' ROOT cupcakes from Art In The Age on Vimeo.

Strawberry Jam: Saying goodbye to Summer!

2009-09-24T08:50:00.000-04:00

Strawberries were shining stars a few months ago. My friend Caralea and her friend Ruth came over bearing many many pounds of fruit, a big stock pot or two and some good conversation. With all those ingredients at the ready, we made over 30 pints of jam and learned a few lessons in jamming.

When you have to hull, slice and mash as many berries as Ruth brought to the jam party, it gets a bit tiresome. But we were a strong team, taking turns and rotating through the tasks so no one got bored or tired of any particular job. If I had to hull all of these strawberries myself I would have surely broken down crying.

It's a good idea to make jam when berries are at their ripest and cheapest. We didn't pick these berries, unfortunately, but they were exceptional specimens. Just sweet enough with a deep red color.

Borrowing a large stock pot from A Full Plate was one of the best ideas we could have had. The largest pot in my collection is wimpy in comparison to this heavy duty professional kitchen variety.

If I were to re-live this day, I would make the jam in smaller batches. We made a quadruple batch and as more experienced canners know, that's just asking for trouble! Some of our jars didn't jell and we ended up with some jam and some strawberry 'sauce' that I've been using on yogurt and ice cream, but not on toast. Oh well, you live and you learn, right? Writing this post now I'm very glad to have participated in this jam session. I'm extremely satisfied when I go down to my basement and see an entire shelf of homemade jams that I get to enjoy all fall and winter.

In the end, even though some of our jam didn't quite turn out, it was a great afternoon, made even better with the company and take-out Chinese food! I used my favorite low sugar pectin and followed the instructions (save for quadrupling the recipe), but you can use whatever pectin you like or are comfortable with. I'm also going to give just the basic canning instruction here, if you've never done it before check out your copy of the Joy of Cooking or one of the online resources recommended by Food in Jars.

Strawberry Jam (single batch)

4 cups ripe strawberries
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons calcium water
2 teaspoons pectin

Wash and mash your berries. This is easy enough to do with a fork to very ripe berries or use a potato masher. Combine mashed berries, lemon juice, and the measured calcium water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. In a separate bowl mix the sugar with the pectin and add to the boiling fruit. Stir vigorously for two minutes to dissolve the pectin and bring jam back to a boil and remove from the heat.

Carefully fill your sterilized jars to 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe the rim of the jar clean, place on the lid and screw on the band. Then process in boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove the jars from the water and let cool completely, about 12 hours.

My yield was about 4 1/2 cups of finished product. Delicious finished product.

Burger Club Philadelphia Meating Tonight @ Square Burger

2009-09-22T11:35:00.001-04:00

No plans for dinner or socializing tonight? Come on out to a meating of Burger Club Philadelphia! Organized by my friend Jess from Fries with that Shake, we meet tonight at 6pm at Square Burger. Join the Burger Club Philadelphia facebook group for more details and updates on future meatings.

Rust 'n ROOT cupcakes

2009-09-18T08:37:00.004-04:00

My life in the past few months has been a bit out of control, but certainly fun, I dropped out of school and started a new life path fully devoted to baked goods, plus there was this little event I organized with my friends, A Full Plate's 3rd Annual Rib Cook-Off. One of our many sponsors, ROOT liqueur came out on the day of the cook-off and mixed cocktails for the crowd. But, the day before the event I whipped up some killer red velvet cupcakes with ROOT baked right inside.
All photos on this page are courtesy of Jess from Fries with That Shake

An additional nip added to the sweet cream cheese frosting made it an adult-only dessert. These cupcakes are unlike anything you've had before. The spiced ROOT liqueur adds a depth of flavor to the buttermilk cocoa cake that will keep you coming back for more.

I made nearly 300 mini cupcakes for A Full Plate's 3rd Annual Rib Cook-Off and they were gone in under a half an hour!

Rust 'n ROOT Cake or Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 Tbsp red food coloring
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 Tbsp ROOT liqueur

Mix all dry ingredients, including sugar, in a large bowl with a wire whisk to remove lumps. Mix all wet ingredients in a medium bowl or a large measuring cup.

Add wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and whisk until just blended.

If using cupcake pans, make sure you line them with paper muffin cups. This recipe makes enough batter to fill 24 muffin cups or 72 mini muffin cups or 2 9-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, 20 minutes or 45 minutes respectively.

Awesome and Shameless Self-Promotion

2009-09-16T08:55:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Adam Erace and Mike Persico for this great article and photo about my leaving graduate school to pursue a life more rich with chocolate chips!

2009 Rib Cook-Off Recap

2009-09-14T07:23:00.005-04:00

This year's Rib Cook-Off was a huge success! The weather cooperated and we had close to 600 people attend the event. The owners of A Full Plate and I couldn't be happier with the event, the participants and the food they grilled as well as the attendees.

Here is a run-down on the judges final scores, as well as the crowd favorite. Judging was blind and each divisional category had a separate panel of three judges who gave each entry a score from 1 to 10 on Taste, Tenderness and Appearance.

VEGETARIAN

Professional 1st Place = Q BBQ and Tequila Bar

Amateur 1st Place = Mediocre BBQ

BRISKET

Professional 1st Place = Q BBQ and Tequila Bar

ANYTHING GOES

Amateur 1st Place = Smokey Crossbones

RIBS

Professional 1st Place = Fran from Tower Investments

Amateur 1st Place = George Wells Meats

CROWD FAVORITE

Sonata

It was a stellar event thanks to the staff from A Full Plate and Home Slice, all of the volunteer judges who gave us their Saturday afternoon, Stoudt's Beer, ROOT liqueur and of course all the contestants who prepped long before competition day to put out their best ribs and other grilled fare. Check out all the pictures from the day, here.

We're definitely doing it again next year, so if you missed this legendary cook-off you can redeem yourself a year from now.

Rib Cook-Off This Saturday!

2009-09-09T07:30:00.001-04:00

It's Wednesday, so that means only three more days to wait until A Full Plate hosts its annual BBQ extravaganza.

The professional division is 9 teams large, so here is run-down on the competitors:

El Camino Real

Bar Ferdinand

North Bowl

Darling's Diner

Q BBQ and Tequila

Sonata

Koozeedoo (a yet-to-be-open spot taking over the Copper space on N. 2nd Street)

Mermaid BBQ (last year's 1st place winner)

Tower Investments (2007's crowd favorite winner)

Each one of these professional teams will be grilling or smoking loads of ribs, grass-fed organic brisket, and a vegetarian item for the crowd.

The amateur division is also chock-full of talented grillers:

Little Mermaid BBQ

Mediocre BBQ

Ribbed for her Pleasure

Garden State Porkway

SoCo-licious

George Wells

Smokey Crossbones

Pork Sword

Got Ribs?

Pork Barrel Politics

For an admission price of just $20 you get to sample the ribs from each division plus the grass-fed organic brisket and veggie options from the professional teams. In addition to the live grilling, A Full Plate cafe will be offering a buffet of all-vegetarian side dishes including:

Southern Style Slaw

Baked Beans

Brussels Sprout Salad

Sesame Kale

Mac & Cheese

Oatmeal Whoopie Pies

Rust'n ROOT Chocolate Cupcakes

With your $20 admission price you also get a beer from Stoudt's and a cocktail mixed with ROOT liqueur. A bottomless cup can be purchased for an additional $10. Doors open to the event at 1pm. The first 35 people through the door also get a FREE Rib Cook-Off t-shirt from Philly Fresh Prints!

A Full Plate's 3rd Annual Rib Cook-Off
2nd and N. Hancock Streets
(directly behind The Piazza @ Schmidt's)
FREE PARKING
1 pm
Saturday, September 12th

Burger Club Philadelphia Meating Tonight @ PYT

2009-09-08T09:04:00.002-04:00

Burger Club Philadelphia is heading to PYT in the Piazza at Schmidt's tonight for the first of 2 meatings happening in September.

The first time I had the burger at PYT it blew my mind, repeat visits have been good, but not nearly as good as the first time around. Let's hope PYT is on point tonight for the discriminating palates of Burger Clubbers from around the city.

My advice, if you haven't been to BCP meating before or you haven't been to PYT yet, this is the perfect time to come out, meet some new friends and stuff your face! Save room for a milkshake, those things are dangerous!

Summer Food Blogger Potluck & Meet-Up, plus the North Port Fishington Cookie Factory

2009-09-04T08:49:00.007-04:00

Local food nerds descended upon my house a few Fridays ago bearing dishes and drinks to share. Per usual, a good time was had by all and I was stuffed by the end of the night thanks to overindulging in many many mini vegan donuts. Its always fun to get the food community together as it is constantly growing and changing. This potluck I was lucky enough to meet some faces behind some blogs that are fairly new to the scene, but definitely adding more flavor.

Jeff from Unbreaded and his wife brought these mini caprese salad-on-a-stick lovelies. Ingenious idea that I intended to borrow straight away.

Taylor of Mac and Cheese loosened everyone up with a special cocktail mixed with Firefly sweet tea vodka and fattened us up by bringing a plate of her famous pimento cheese sandwiches.

At this point in the evening I'd had two of Taylor's cocktails and pretty much lost track of who brought what to the potluck, forgive me and blame Taylor for her mad cocktail mixing skills. I do distinctly remember the beautiful blackberries in that fruit salad and the large dish of roasted vegetables with pita that Olivia from No Counterspace provided.

Marisa from Food in Jars hooked up the party with a large jar of her homemade pickles. Lucky me, upon leaving the party she poured her delicious pickle brine into a large jar for me to keep. Score! We also had a fair bit of salsa as I made a chunky, cilantro-heavy version to share and Jess from Fries with that Shake made two kick-ass salsas plus a dish of sweet and savory Texas cavier.

You should have seen my dance of joy when the two desserts that showed up both came with fresh whipped cream! I mean, really, who could complain about that or bottle up their dance of joy? Not me, that's for sure. I also made some chewy peanut butter oatmeal cookies because I didn't have time for the chocolate whoopie pies I was hoping to make. The cookies were good, but I was outdone by the master of vegan baking: Mike from the North Port Fishington Cookie Factory.

Mike and his friend Geri could barely walk through the living room without us all ooohing, ahhhing and reaching into the huge bakery box of donuts they brought to share with us food bloggers.

Aside from dozens of mini donuts, Mike and Geri brought cinnamon rolls, mint chocolate brownies, big oatmeal raisin cookies (my favorite!) and peanut butter sandwich cookies. Everything is baked at Philly Kitchen Share and is cruelty free. Mike sells his sweets wholesale to a variety of local cafes, coffeeshops and restaurants. Check out the following list to find the nearest retail outlet for Mike's delicious baked goods.

North Port Fishington Cookie Factory
Mike Landers. 267.235.5538. mikelandersemail@hotmail .com
Myspace.com/northportfishington & facebook.com/northportfishington

Products are available at the following locations:

In Fishtown
Greensgrow Farms (Cumberland btw Gaul & Almond)
{Saturday market table}
Mr Bills Deli (Tulip & Berks)
Rocket Cat Café (Frankford & Norris)
Atlantis the Lost Bar (Frankford & Hagert)

In Northern Liberties
One Shot Café (Liberties Walk)
Almanac Market (4th & Poplar)
Soy Café (2nd & Fairmount)
Higher Grounds (3rd & Fairmount)

In Center City
Grindstone Café (5th btw South & Bainbridge)
The Last Drop (13th & Pine)
Natural Goodness (20th & Walnut)
Good Karma Café (22nd & Pine)

In Grad Ho
Pumpkin Market (South btw 16th & 17th)
Beauty Shop Café (20th & Fitzwater)

In South Philly
Bella Vista Natural Foods (9th in the Italian Market)
Bennas Café (8th & Wharton)
B2 (Passyunk & Dickinson)
Fantes (9th St, in the Italian market also)

In Fairmount
Flying Saucer Café (26th & Brown)

In West Philly
Mariposa Coop (47th & Baltimore)
Satellite Café (50th & Baltimore)
Earth Cup (45th & Pine)

In the burbs
Milkboy Café (Lancaster Ave; in Ardmore and in Bryn Mawr)

Ben & Jerry Don't Discriminate Against Love

2009-09-02T09:09:00.002-04:00

This is awesome! I just wish I lived in Vermont so I could take advantage of the scoop special.

Rib Cook-Off 2009 Entry Deadline

2009-09-01T08:59:00.003-04:00

Today is the last day to enter A Full Plate's 3rd Annual Rib Cook-Off as a competitor. The entry fee for an amateur team is just $75 bucks and supplies you with a 10 X 10 foot space on Hancock Street behind the Piazza at Schimdt's to grill on, plus 12-15 racks of ribs to prepare for hungry guests. The event is Saturday, September 12th and opens to the public at 1pm.

If you're a professional cook or restaurateur you can enter the Professional Division of competition to battle the BBQ prowess of El Camino Real and other local BBQ experts.

Categories for Professional Teams include Ribs, Brisket and Vegetarian, while categories for Amateur Teams include Ribs, Anything Goes and Vegetarian.

For the amateur category turn in times are as follows:

1:00 Vegetarian

1:30 Anything Goes

2:00 Ribs

For the professional category turn in times are as follows:

1:00 Vegtarian

2:00 Ribs

3:00 Brisket

We'll be setting the whole Rib Cook-Off up on Hancock Street behind The Piazza at Schmidt's and Stoudt's brewery and ROOT have agreed to provide samples of their libations throughout the day.

If you'd just like to show up and eat the wonderful samples from both Professional and Amateur teams as well as full buffet of vegetarian side dishes courtesy of A Full Plate Cafe, it's just 20 bucks for a ticket on the day of the event.

For details on rules and regulations or to download an entry form, please visit A Full Plate's Annual Rib Cook-Off official website.

Mark you calendars today and spread the word to your friends who think they have what it takes to compete to win First Place in the 3rd Annual Rib Cook-Off!

Lemon Curd

2009-08-20T09:55:00.000-04:00

I've officially got the handle on making and canning homemade jam. This summer has allowed me to put up dozens of jars of strawberry, blueberry, raspberry and peach jam, so I decided it was time to tackle another canned good that I love: Lemon Curd. It's easier than I imagined, so don't be afraid to try this recipe at home, it is worlds better than any lemon curd you can get at your local supermarket.

Lemon Curd

4 whole eggs
7 egg yolks
2 cups sugar
1 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled

A few basic ingredients are all you need to make this tangy toast topper. Lemons, sugar, eggs and butter plus a little elbow power turn seemingly ordinary ingredients into some extraordinary. Start by zesting your lemons with a rasp or microplane. I used 5 big lemons to yield my 1/2 cup of zest and 1 cup of juice, but you may need more of less depending upon how big and juicy your lemons are.

Set a medium pot with three inches of water in it on the stove to come to a simmer. Make sure you have a large non-reactive (i.e. stainless steel or glass) bowl that will sit nicely on top of the pot of water without the bottom of the bowl touching the water. While the water is coming to a simmer, carefully separate the egg yolks from the whites and place in the non-reactive bowl (do not set it over the pan of water just yet!) along with the whole eggs. Whisk together the eggs, yolks, sugar and lemon zest until smooth.

Now add the lemon juice and finally the chilled butter pieces. At this point now you can set the bowl over the pan of simmering water.

Cook this mixture, stirring gently until all the butter has melted. Continue to cook and stir the mixture over the double-boiler until it reaches 170 degrees. It will look weird along the way, as my pictures above illustrate, until it just seems to come together and thicken. Remove the bowl from the pan of water and place on a clean towel or wooden cutting board. The bowl will be hot, so be careful when removing it from atop the double boiler.

You can fill a jar with the hot curd and stick them directly in your fridge to be eaten within two weeks, or you can freeze the curd for longer term storage. I also had great success canning my lemon curd in a boiling water canner. First wash and sterilize your jars, fill the jars with the hot lemon curd and process in a boiling water canner for 12 minutes. Lemon curd that has been processed in a boiling water canner will keep on your shelf at room temperature for up to a year.

In addition to being a delicious toast topping alternative, lemon curd is also delicious on ice cream, as a filling for crumb bars or coffee cake and makes a great addition to your morning yogurt/granola. Enjoy!

Movin' On Up!

2009-08-11T08:10:00.002-04:00

I moved to Philadelphia almost 7 years ago to pursue my doctorate in Sociology, and I've been toiling away at that goal ever since. In a strange turn of events, I recently let all of that go to turn my time and attention to food full-time. It wasn't a hard decision once I realized that nearly all of my joy lies in the kitchen instead of in an office. I figured it was about time to share this good news with all of you. Cooking and baking have been life-long loves inspired by my mother, while photography and writing about food are more recent developments that Foodaphilia has given me a chance to showcase.

So here I am. Letting you all know that Foodaphilia is more alive than ever and that I want to make you something to eat! Working out of a friend's commercial kitchen in Northern Liberties, I'm excited to be taking orders for sweet treats of all kinds. You want two dozen of my favorite chocolate chip cookie? They can be yours. The Elvis, made with banana chocolate chip cake and peanut butter frosting sound more your speed? You can have that, too. Anything your heart desires, or any recipe you've seen on my blog can be yours, and it will bring me joy to make it for you.

I hope to have a few menus up here soon highlighting some of my most popular desserts and cookies. Until then, wish me luck, and don't skip dessert!

Please drop me a line at using the contact link on the side bar, or call me at A Full Plate Cafe 215-627-4068.

Viet Huong

2009-08-05T12:08:00.003-04:00

On our way to pick up a donated smoker, the Burgerbaroness and I stopped into Viet Huong to see how their Vietnamese Hoagies compared to others we've devoured in the quest for the perfect sandwich.

As most good foodie friends do, we divide and conquer. Ordering two different sandwiches cut in half let's us each enjoy two (or more!) delicious offerings. This first sandwich is the most traditional. Crusty french style bread is sliced in half, spread with butter and stuffed with Vietnamese ham, head-shoulder roll, pork roll, pate and lightly pickled daikon and carrots. Then thin slices of jalapeno pepper and sprigs of cilantro are added on top with a sprinkle of black pepper.

We also tried a more modern twist on the original sandwich. This one is stuffed with charbroiled pork, cucumber, carrots, daikon, cilantro and jalapeno peppers and is sprinkled with a douse of fish sauce before serving.

At under four bucks each, these sandwiches are not only delicious and filling, but a steal! You can get one to go, or sit down and have it delivered to your table wrapped in wax paper. If you like things extra spicy, siracha is nice addition, but I found the seasoning and fresh peppers on my sandwich to be plenty spicy. By far this has been my favorite destination for Vietnamese hoagies to date. They're generous with the fillings while still maintaining a budget-friendly price, and the bread is spot on, crunchy on the outside and slightly warmed before service.

Viet Huong
1110 Washington Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19147
215.336.5030

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

2009-07-29T07:17:00.000-04:00

To this day when my brother visits my mother's house in Nebraska or when it's his birthday, he tends to expect a batch of chocolate whoopie pies in honor of the occasion. My mother got this recipe from her friend Karen who she's known since she was a little girl. Growing up, we affectionately called them black moons, and I used to tease my mother for keeping such a cherished recipe on a piece of scrap paper. Wouldn't you know it, my version of the recipe is scrawled in red colored pencil on the back on an envelope. Sharing that with you now makes me want to give it the dignity of a legitimate recipe card and leave it just the way it is in equal amounts. Funny that.

The recipe is essentially a whoopie pie, two moist cake-like cookies are sandwiched around a vanilla cream filling. They're great chilled as a refreshing treat or room temperature. This recipe is easy to put together, but makes only 16-18 cookies, so if you're cooking for a crowd, you might need to double the recipe. The original recipe calls for shortening, but I've substituted butter and margarine with successful results, the cookies are just slightly less tender than when made with shortening.

Chocolate Whoopie Pies (aka Black Moons)

1/2 c shortening
1 c white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c milk
2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder

Filling:
1/2 c shortening
1 c powdered sugar
1 c marshmallow fluff
1/2 c cream cheese, room temperature
Vanilla Bean

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line to cookie sheets with parchment paper or non-stick foil.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream shortening, sugar and vanilla. Add milk. At this point the mixture will separate and look terrible. Don't worry.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the shortening and milk mixture and mix until combined.

Use two small spoons or a cookie scoop to drop the batter onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until the tops crack slightly but still look a bit damp. You don't want to over bake these cookies! Let cookies cool for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cookies cool, prepare the filling by creaming the shortening and cream cheese together. Then add the marshmallow fluff. (If you add the fluff in before creaming the shortening and cream cheese, all you'll get is a layer of marshmallow fluff on the bottom of the bowl. If you add them to the mixer in this order, the cream cheese and shortening act as a barrier to the stickiness of the fluff) At this point I like to add the seeds of a vanilla bean, but a little vanilla extract will do in a pinch. Finally, slowly add the powdered sugar until you've reached a nice spreadable consistency.

When the cookies are completely cool, place a spoonful on the bottom of one cookie and top with another. Because of the cream cheese in the frosting, these cookies do best stored in the fridge.

Root Cocktail Competition Tonight!

2009-07-28T11:43:00.002-04:00

I was lucky enough to taste Root back in May, and tonight everyone in Philly who is so motivated will have a chance to taste Root mixed up in unique cocktails by some of our city's best mixologists. Bartenders from North Third, Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co., Snackbar and other local watering holes will be serving up $5 dollar cocktails and competing to impress some sophisticated palates. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres will be served. Come on out and enjoy this new liquor! I'll see you there.

ROOT Cocktail Competition
Tuesday, July 28th, 7-10pm

Silk City Beer Garden (Rain location: inside Silk City)
435 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA

Summer Food Blogger Potluck & Meet-Up

2009-07-27T09:51:00.005-04:00

We're doing it again. Last year Taylor organized an awesome summer get-together in Fairmount Park, I'm too lazy for that, so I'm inviting everyone with a blog or vlog about food in the Philadelphia region over to my house instead. This potluck and meet-up is scheduled for Friday evening on August 14th. It is bound to be one of the best potlucks you'll ever attend with dishes and drinks brought from some of the areas most obsessive foodies. Don't miss it!

If you haven't already received an evite to the event, that's because you're not on our food blogger e-mail list. To join the list please send me an e-mail with your name, the name of your blog or vlog and the URL and I'll add you to our list. Hope to see some old friends and meet some new faces!

Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival Winners!

2009-07-26T10:38:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to lyndsey, nugget, Lauren B, Phoodie, and Lightning. You all have won one pass (good for you and a guest) to the The Grand Market Event at the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival! Each pass is good for entry to the event on August 1st or 2nd.

Please write me an e-mail using my contact information from my profile to send me your home address. I will pass on your addresses to Harrah's Entertainment and they will send your pass to The Grand Market Event directly to your home address.

Congratulations to the winners! Have a great time at this great event.

P.Y.T

2009-07-24T06:55:00.004-04:00

By now, everyone in the Philadelphia region should have heard something about PYT. The guy in charge is a PR master, so he created quite a stir over the opening of his burger lounge in the Piazza at Schmidt's. Seeing as how they've been closed this week to learn the new computer system and are re-opening tonight, I decided to wait to post about PYT until the massive flurry of activity was over and the establishment was closer to being open on the permanent basis. Whether they re-open tonight or tomorrow is up for debate, but one thing is for sure, when you go put a burger in your mouth!

With a slew of burger joints opening during the first few months of summer, I sorta expected PYT's burger to be just another pub burger. I was wrong. The PYT burger is a thing of beauty. The patty itself is not overwhelming in size, it's just big enough to cover the bun and just thick enough to ensure the chef can cook it to customer order.

Covered with melted cheddar, onion, tomato, shredded romaine, crispy bacon and PYT onion sauce, this burger was a flavor explosion. A bit on the salty side, but I have to admit, I like salty. The menu said the kettle-cooked chips would come on top of the burger, but ours fell to the side.

Fries are fresh cut, skin-on, which is the quickest way to french fry success in my opinion. I wish they'd just put a squeeze bottle of ketchup on the table at a place like this instead of doling out the ketchup in little shot glasses. I'm a ketchup junkie and dislike having to beg the server for more. But in the grand scheme of things, that's small potatoes and might change as PYT finds itself in full swing after this weekend.

Onion rings have a bit too much batter, but the batter is delicious. The crust itself is well-seasoned (speculation occurred as to the contents, my guess is a quick shake of powdered onion and garlic) and the onions are steamed to perfection inside the thick coating.

You're going to need to wash that burger and fries down with something, so I suggest the Jon Valdez Adult Milkshake. Intense coffee ice cream is blended up with Kahlua and Patron XO and served in a pint glass, covered with whipped cream and a single cherry on top. It's like all my diabetic nightmares converging in one glass and it is delicious. Thank god I had a friend sitting a table away who I was able to convince to take the milkshake away from me after I'd quickly sucked down half of it. Not only was I in danger of an ice cream headache because it was so thick and cold, but I was probably near the borderline of sugar shock.

With a location like they have and a menu that pleads with your inner glutton, PYT is sure to make a million dollars. If they stay open late (Tommy said they'd be serving food until 1am most nights) there is absolutely no reason they won't be a popular desination in The Piazza at Schmidt's.

P.Y.T.
1050 N. Hancock Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123
215.268.7268

Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival Giveaway!

2009-07-23T09:34:00.004-04:00

Atlantic City has truly evolved into a great getaway destination for fun, food, relaxation and nightlife. The first ever TD Bank Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival, a four day festival, featuring food and wine tastings, beach soirees, celebrity appearances and cooking demonstrations hosted by the crème de la crème of the industry, including Emeril Lagasse, Tom Colicchio, Ted Allen and Guy Fieri (just to name a few) is taking place within Harrah's Entertainment, Atlantic City properties (Harrah's Resort, Caesars, Showboat and Bally's) on Thursday, July 30th - Sunday, August 2nd. Click here for more details.

If you're interested, I'm giving away 5 free passes (each pass is good for you and a guest) to The Grand Market Event taking place August 1 and August 2 from 12pm - 7pm at Bally's Grand Ballroom.

Just drop me a line in the comments section and you'll be entered in a random drawing for one of the five passes I have to give way. Contest closes on Saturday, July 25th at 8pm so that I have time to pass the winner's contact information on to Harrah's and have the passes sent directly to the winners.

Good luck and I'll see you there!

Parc

2009-07-20T08:15:00.000-04:00

I spent half my life not loving breakfast. I don't know what my reasoning was as a child, but I just wasn't a fan. I distinctly remember eating only the white portion of a fried egg, leaving the yolk to bobble on the plate all by itself. Exceptions were made anytime for my mother's cinnamon french toast, but only for pancakes when they were eaten in lieu of dinner. Sometime in my college years, things changed and I consumed eggy breakfasts with abandon. I've come to terms with my love of breakfast, and indulge in a luxurious breakfast or brunch only occasionally. Recently, Jess and I headed to Rittenhouse Square to enjoy the beautiful weather and have a leisurely breakfast at Parc.

Not a traditional French breakfast by any means, I still had to try to the Eggs Benedict at Parc. I found it to be an excellent version of this eggy morning starter, with perfectly poached eggs, thin sliced salty ham and one of the most lemony hollandaise sauces I've had the pleasure to eat. If you're an Eggs Benedict fan, the version at Parc is sure to satisfy you.

Two eggs cooked any style you want, in this case, sunny-side up, are served with some very good breakfast potatoes. Loads of caramelized onions and spices are sauteed with the potatoes until everything just melds together into a mighty fine breakfast potato.

A bowl of mixed berries was adorable. But more importantly, the berries were just the right ripeness for serving. Everyone has been served under-ripe fruit at sometime by some restaurant, but at Parc that is unlikely to happen. Blueberries, raspberries and strawberries are garnished with a simple mint leaf and provided the perfect accompaniment to my eggs.

Since I've been on such a jam kick lately, we decided to order the tartine with jams in order to compare our homemade versions to Parc's. The french baguette is a dream, lightly toasted and served with softened whipped butter. The jam is good, but I'm happy to say, mine are better.

But Parc definitely has something special going on in the bakery department. We grabbed some baguette to take with us so my delicious homemade jams, like this one, have a swift delivery vehicle to my mouth.

Parc
227 S. 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215.545.2262

Foodaphilia on TV

2009-07-15T09:51:00.003-04:00

It took me a little while to find, but a TV station in Utah picked up my Peanut Butter Pretzel Bite recipe and did an on-air segment about these treats and gave Foodaphilia some nice props too. Check it out!

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Elevation Burger

2009-07-13T09:45:00.003-04:00

To kick off Jess' birthday I took her and my sweetheart to Elevation Burger out in Wynnewood yesterday. Jess is a self-proclaimed Burgerbaroness, and when given a choice between a birthday brunch at Bar Ferdinand or Elevation Burger, she choose the burger. Nothing against Bar Ferdinand, but I'm glad she chose the burger. It was delicious!

Not quite as stellar as Jess' favorite fast food burger chain, In and Out Burger, Elevation Burger is quite possibly the closest we'll get to that style of fast food burger here in Pennsylvania. Luckily for us, the location in Wynnewood is just the first of three stores the chain is planning for the Philadelphia region. I think I might have a problem on my hands if one of the locations is close to Northern Liberties.

The Elevation Burger philosophy is one that echos sustainability and quality at a reasonable price in a matter of minutes. According to their website, "Elevation burger is more than just a restaurant; it is a vision for fresh food that is better for you and better for the environment". We can all get behind a mission statement like that, no?

Beef for the burgers is grass-fed, organic and ground on the premises, meaning fresh food that isn't pre-frozen into patties and shipped across the U.S. The fries, which are super crispy and perfectly salted, are fried in 100% Olive Oil, meaning no trans-fats.

Upon first bite, I was smitten. I ordered a single cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, and pickles. The bun was light, held together with the power of potato and didn't overwhelm the small-ish burger the way some burger buns can. The cheese was real cheddar, none of that processed flavorless American cheese. In my opinion, the only room for improvement would be the lettuce. I really adore a nice leafy green piece of lettuce, but the standard at Elevation Burger is a piece of Iceberg. I understand the need for crunchy textural contrast, but I think that can be achieved with a nice piece of Romaine or Bibb lettuce just as easily as Iceberg.

The shakes are nothing to dismiss either. Just thick enough to make you work a little bit to get the sweet mixture up the straw, but not so thick that you pop a blood vessel in your forehead, the shakes are definitely worth the calories. You can get a Vanilla, Chocolate or Coffee shake with up to two mix-ins for the same low price. I chose Coffee ice cream and added Oreo cookies, and I was delighted with the end product. Other mix-ins include strawberries, mango, pineapple, black cherries, chocolate syrup and key lime!

Finally, the service at Elevation Burger was great. Granted, they've just opened and seem to have an abundance of staff on hand for training, but I felt really taken care of during my whole visit. It's harder to be stealthy about taking pictures with my new beautiful camera, so I'm sure I drew some attention to myself, but still, the kids who were working were very friendly, asked us repeatedly how the food was and if they could do anything for us while we were there. It was nice. Not sure if this is typical of the chain or typical of the suburbs, so it will be interesting to see what service is like when a location opens up within Philadelphia county. For now, however, I'm very very satisfied with Elevation Burger and am already planning another trip out to the 'burbs so I can scarf another delicious and sustainable burger.

Elevation Burger
50 E. Wynnewood Road
Wynnewood, PA 19096
610.645.7704

BCP @ The Standard Tap

2009-07-09T07:26:00.001-04:00

This is a post about Burger Club Philadelphia's latest meating at Standard Tap, and I'll get to that in just a minute. But first, I have to take a moment to point out the awesomeness that is this duck live mousse.

It was beyond creamy with just the right amount of fattiness to coat your mouth slightly, but a hint of something sweet keep it away from becoming too rich. Coupled with the toasted bread and a salad of cornichon, onions, and mustard, it was some of the best duck liver I've ever eaten. And I'd order it again. Okay, now on to the matter at hand: Burgers!

Organized by our fearless leader, Jess, from Fries with that Shake, Burger Club Philadelphia met recently on the top floor of Standard Tap, which has a reputation for a bitchin' burger.

I ordered mine medium rare with grilled onions, mushrooms and monterey jack cheese. The Tap doesn't let you get all fancy with the burgers, mushrooms and onions are the only available add-ons, all I'm saying is that it's a bummer no bacon is allowed.

But this is seriously one beautiful burger when she's all put together. The patty is clearly had formed, the cheese is from a good source, the lettuce and tomato are not skimpy in portion, and the pickles are crunchy and dill, the only kind of pickles I allow in front of me.

Cooked to my exact specification, this burger was juicy, flavorful and I inhaled it in a matter of minutes. I was shocked at how quickly I consumed this beast. When it was first placed in front of me I thought for sure that I would only be able to eat half, especially after the duck liver mousse appetizer we shared at my table. I guess my hunger for red meat has been increasing since I joined burger club, and this puppy was polished off before I'd finished my second beer!

My only real complaint was the bread. The brioche roll, which I think is from Le Bus, was a little on the stale side and crumbled when you bit into the burger. It wasn't a deal breaker for me.

Head on over to Jess's post on Fries with that Shake to read all the reviews from members of Burger Club Philadelphia on Standard Tap burger.

Standard Tap
901 N. 2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123
215.238.0630

Raspberry Lime Jam

2009-07-07T07:46:00.001-04:00

Aside from making pickled green beans occasionally with my mother when I was a kid, I have practically no canning experience. But, I've been reading Food in Jars since Marisa started sharing her expertise with all of us, so I figured berry season was the perfect time to join in the fun. I wanted to use local fresh fruit and as little sugar as possible so I could enjoy my jam without hesitation. I also added a twist to a plain raspberry jam by adding a significant citrus kick with lime juice and the powerful zest.

I had lots of traditional pectin around my house, but grabbed a box of Pomona's Universal Pectin at Whole Foods at the last minute for this Raspberry-Lime Jam. Pomona's pectin calls for making a calcium water to aid in gelling and they supply the calcium powder with every box of pectin. You simply add a little calcium powder to some water and stick it in the fridge before you start jamming.

I'm also going to give just the basic canning instruction here, if you've never done it before check out your copy of the Joy of Cooking or one of the online resources recommended by Food in Jars.

4 cups ripe red raspberries
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
Zest of one lime
2 teaspoons calcium water
2 teaspoons pectin

Wash and mash your berries. This is easy enough to do with a fork to ripe raspberries. Combine mashed berries, lime juice, lime zest and the measured calcium water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. In a separate bowl mix the sugar with the pectin and add to the boiling fruit. Stir vigorously for two minutes to dissolve the pectin and bring jam back to a boil and remove from the heat.

Carefully fill your sterilized jars to 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe the rim of the jar clean, place on the lid and screw on the band. Then process in boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove the jars from the water and let cool completely, about 12 hours.

My yield was about 4 1/2 cups of finished product. Delicious finished product.

The Regulars by Sarah Stolfa

2009-07-06T09:51:00.005-04:00

McGlinchey's Tavern is an institution in Philadelphia. Nearly everyone I know has a story, memory or nightmare that involves the cantankerous words of the bartender or the hot dogs from McGlinchey's. I was excited to hear of a new book by local photographer and McGlinchey's bartender, Sarah Stolfa.

Stolfa is a Drexel educated artist who began tending bar to make some cash, and found a bar full of regulars that became the subjects of her artistic vision. If you've ever been in for a drink, you already know that McGlinchey's is a cheap, dirty and cool bar that welcomes individuals from all walks of life with the same surly look. Stolfa manages to capture some of The Regulars and their (mostly) dour looks in her book of portraits. If you're a fan of Stolfa's or McGlinchey's and you'd like the opportunity to win a copy of The Regulars, please leave a message in the comments section with your favorite memory of McGlinchey's. Make sure to leave your comment before Friday, July 10th at noon (EST) to be included in the drawing for a copy of Sarah Stolfa's, The Regulars.

Alternatively, you can buy The Regulars online at Amazon.com

McGlinchey's Bar & Grille
259 S. 15th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215.735.1259

The Restaurant School & Library

2009-06-30T08:45:00.001-04:00

The old adage, "it's not what you know, it's who you know" certainly held true a little over a week ago when my friend Jess, from Fries with that Shake, totally hooked me up with a tour of the The Restaurant School's library! Did you even know the The Restaurant School had a library? I didn't either, but because Jess is a friendly and well-connect librarian, she was able to finagle this wonderful experience for us. Madeline Copp, the resident librarian at The Restaurant School was kind enough to open the collection to us one afternoon and I could have spent hours and hours amidst the food-oriented tomes.

One of the most extraordinary things about the Library at The Restaurant School is the historical volumes of cooking literature. Select years of Joy of Cooking and other popular all-inclusive cook books are preserved so that one can observe the change of a single recipe over time. (My inner sociologist imagined a lengthy and in-depth content analysis of Chicken Divan from it's earliest conception until the present). Regional cookbooks from around the world were organized together for easy reference, notice how the Irish cookbooks in the bottom right corner are all green!

A whole room is devoted solely to food-related periodicals. Here Jess and I swooned over the recent issues of Sauveur and Gastronomica and discussed for a quick second the possibility of sharing a subscription to Gastronomica in the near future.

I was feeling like a serious Foodaphiliac when I asked Jess to take a picture of me posing with The Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, but I just couldn't let this tremendous opportunity pass me by. A few moments later I almost fainted when I saw the entire room devoted to baking cook books.

Were it not for the crowd of students actively using the library during our tour I may have just sat down and camped out for a while, but luckily Madeline was able to tear me away from her place of work by mentioning the food and drinks awaiting us in the dining room downstairs.

The restaurants portion of The Restaurant School has a few different rooms for various functions and group activities. We sat in the main courtyard area which is designed to make you feel like you're outside, but you're really tucked safely behind the library and administrative building and nestled right next to the Pastry Shop. The Pasty Shop is an amazing entity. Every day, for most of the year, it is stocked to the brim with goodies baked fresh every morning by students in the Pastry Arts program. The shop is closed from July 4th through September 7th when school is not is session, but the rest of the year it is open and they have a great selection of cookies, danish, cakes and pies. But before I jump into how wonderful desserts are let me show you what we ate for dinner that night.

Dinner at The Restaurant School is three courses for $21, a total steal for what you get, but of course it's prepared by students under the guidance of their Chef Instructors. You get to choose from a selection of appetizer and entree choices listed on the menu, and there are often two or three additional specials that your server will inform you about. To wet our whistles, the bartender, who was ridiculously attractive, whipped up a little grapefruit and vodka martini which I enjoyed so much I ordered a total of three during the entirety of dinner! The entire table was as smitten with the bartender, I mean the drink, as I was and we completely skipped our plan to order a bottle of wine and instead just drank these light and summery cocktails all through dinner.

I started with the appetizer special, an Italian white bean gazpacho with pesto oil. It was cool, smooth and perfectly thick with the natural texture of a perfectly cooked white bean.

I realized we were dining with a VIP when bonus dishes appeared at the table! It was a dream come true for someone who always has trouble deciding what to order, because I got to try three times as many things on one visit than is normally possible. It was nearing the end of the semester at The Restaurant School so the students were practicing a larger than average number of dishes. Here we got to try the curried vegetable fried dumpling and the vegetable and tofu summer roll.

Because we're good foodies, when Jess and I get the chance to share a meal together we often order the two dishes that interest us both the most and share bites so we can sample more without necessarily ordering more than we can handle. Here is the goat cheese salad that she chose as her starter. This goat cheese was slightly whipped to a super creamy state, infused with fresh herbs and drizzled with a vibrant lemon oil. I'm going to try to re-create this at home, I liked it so much.

For dinner I ordered one the evening's specials, a Korean BBQ pork chop with sweet BBQ sauce and sauteed veggies. The pork was perfectly cooked, it was a thick-cut boneless chop that had to been brined/marinated for at least an hour or two before grilling because it was so moist. The sauce on top was slightly sweet and complimented the salty kick of the marinated pork in just the right way.

The Pineapple Jerk Chicken was also moist and surprisingly well-cooked for a piece of boneless chicken breast. The sauce was simultaneously sweet, sour and spicy, just like a good Jerk sauce should be. The plantains were friend crispy and provided a nice starchy counterpoint of taste to the saucy chicken. I think this may have been my favorite entree of the night.

Jess ordered the Grilled Shrimp with "Moroccan" Pesto. Again, the Chef Instructors are doing their jobs well at The Restaurant School because shrimp are so easy to overcook and instantly turn rubbery, but these shrimp were cooked the point of barley-done so that by the time they arrived in front of Jess they were perfectly done and not the slightest bit chewy or overcooked.

When it came time for dessert, Jess and I encouraged the whole table to order something distinct so we could be utterly gluttonous and taste everything. The creme brulee was the only misstep of our entire meal. While the custard was perfect, thick and creamy, not grainy and highly vanilla-y, the sugar on top was thin and most disappointingly didn't snap as it should have when cracked with a spoon. This is the flaw with most creme brulees in the restaurant world.

Key Lime Tart with Blackberry Coulis had a freshly toasted meringue topping and decidedly tart filling that was cool and creamy without being too sweet. I'm a sucker for creamy key lime pie and this was a very very good version paired with a sweet berry sauce.

My favorite desserts of the night were these final two. The dessert of the left was a special for the night, a chocolate espresso fudge cake with coffee ice cream. I find it hard to pass up coffee-infused chocolate desserts because the combination of flavors is one that just makes me swoon, and this was no exception to that rule. Layers of chocolate cake were sandwiched between fudgy espresso icing and crusted with mocha chips. It was so rich I couldn't finish it even after sharing with the three ladies at my table. On the right is the Chocolate Peanut Torte with Concord Grape Gelee. This was the sleeper success of the entire meal, it sounded interesting on the menu, but I wasn't going to order it cause it sounded a little too, I don't know, conceptual. I was quickly smitten with this dessert. The peanut cream was smooth and nutty, the crust of the torte was crispy and crunchy and the grape gelee was the essence of Concord Grapes made into jelly form. It was delicious, and we ate it all, not a single crumb left on the plate.

It was a great experience touring the library, and a great meal followed the tour. I've been talking about The Restaurant School non-stop since. I can't wait to take my sweetheart there for a nice dinner, and you should too, just not with my sweetheart, find your own!

The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College
4207 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215.222.4200

Rib Cook-Off 2009

2009-06-29T08:22:00.004-04:00

It seems as though Philadelphia is going through something like a BBQ revolution. The number of BBQ restaurants seems to have doubled, maybe even tripled in the recent months. This is a good thing for me and the owners of A Full Plate Cafe and Home Slice in Northern Liberties because together we're organizing the 3rd Annual Rib Cook-Off in September of 2009.

If you're a professional cook or restaurateur you can enter the Professional Division of competition to battle the BBQ prowess of El Camino Real and other local BBQ experts.

If you're not a professional, we have an amateur division where you can battle your neighbors to see who has the best backyard BBQ recipes and techniques.

Categories for Professional Teams include Ribs, Brisket and Vegetarian, while categories for Amateur Teams include Ribs, Anything Goes and Vegetarian.

We'll be setting the whole Rib Cook-Off up in The Piazza at Schmidt's and Stoudt's brewery and Sailor Jerry Rum have graciously agreed to keep the libations flowing throughout the day.

If you'd just like to show up and eat the wonderful samples from both Professional and Amateur teams, it's just 20 bucks for a ticket and a cup.

For details on rules and regulations or to download an entry form, please visit A Full Plate's Annual Rib Cook-Off official website.

Mark you calendars today and spread the word to your friends who think they have what it takes to compete to win First Place in the 3rd Annual Rib Cook-Off!

Marisa from Food in Jars on TV!

2009-06-25T14:19:00.002-04:00

How exciting! My friend Marisa writes a fabulous blog called Food in Jars that is all about home canning. I've learned a bunch of fabulous tips, tricks and recipes from her and recently she appeared on Fox 29 to talk about home canning and her blog. Check out the segment below and visit her beautifully written and photographed blog, Food in Jars.

Homemade Margaritas

2009-06-25T09:31:00.001-04:00

The sun is finally peeking out behind all the dreary clouds that have become familiar decoration in Philly. Since it's now officially the third day of summer, what better time to make a summery cocktail to really put us all in the mood.

I'm a big fan of margaritas. You can regularly find me at either El Camino Real or Cantina Dos Segundos (the two margarita slinging establishments closest to my home) enjoying a tequila laced lime beverage. Sometimes I don't want to go out, sometimes I'd rather cook at home and enjoy a homemade margarita on my deck. Good thing these drinks are easy to make and require very few ingredients all of which I normally have on hand in my kitchen. Fresh citrus is key. I like to use a ratio of 2/3 lime juice to 1/3 lemon juice, a little artificial sweetner or agave syrup (give me a break, I've got The Sugar!) and the best tequila I can afford. I know I know, traditional 'ritas don't use lemon juice, but the juice yield from a lemon is like 4 times the juice yield from a lime, and I don't think it impacts the flavor much at all, as an added bonus it saves me the time squeezing limes. I'm also well aware that orange liqueur is a traditional addition to this classic drink, but unfortunately my sweetheart is allergic to oranges, and I don't keep them or liqueurs derived from them in the house. Feel free to modify the recipe below to include Triple Sec or Ciontreau if you like.

Grating a little lime or lemon zest into the juice will give your cocktail serious pucker power, so if you like it sour, don't forget to zest!

Add ice to a cocktail shaker, add 2 parts lemon/lime juice, a 1/2 part sweetener of your choice(you can add 2 teaspoons of sugar or sugar syrup, or 1 teaspoon of honey or agave nectar). Finally, add one part good quality Tequila and shake until frothy. Pour mix over an ice filled glass and garnish with a lime wedge.

Burger Club Philadelphia Meating Tonight @ Standard Tap

2009-06-16T08:02:00.002-04:00

No plans for dinner or socializing tonight? Come on out to a meating of Burger Club Philadelphia! Organized by my friend Jess from Fries with that Shake, we meet tonight at 6pm at Standard Tap. Join the Burger Club Philadelphia facebook group for more details and updates on future meatings.

Arbol Cafe

2009-06-15T07:47:00.000-04:00

One of the more beautiful places to eat in Northern Liberties is the outdoor courtyard of Arbol Cafe. Located across 2nd street from the infamous Standard Tap, Arbol Cafe offers a fusion of American and Paraguayan cuisine in a family and BYOB friendly atmosphere. You place your order and pay at the counter inside where there are few small tables, but you're better off eating outside in The Garden if the weather is nice.

The best way to start at Arbol is with the Traditional Sandwich de Lomito. These sandwiches are appropriate for any time of day, but are especially nice for breakfast or brunch. A soft eggy roll is split open, spread with mayonnaise and filled with thinly sliced steak, turkey ham, romaine lettuce, fresh summer tomato, a hard-fried egg, and port salut cheese. I can also recommend a side of the salt and pepper potatoes. Nothing is fried at Arbol, so you're not going to get crunchy potatoes alongside your sandwich, what you will get is thin rounds of well-seasoned roasted potatoes served with homemade hot ketchup. Delicious.

The combination of salty turkey ham with grilled steak and fresh toppings inside of the airy yet slightly chewy roll all works beautifully. The roll, LeBus Brioche, is just dry enough to soak up the steak and tomato juices, while the mayo and cheese keep it all from sliding off the roll. The only way to improve upon the taste of this sandwich would be to request a slightly runny egg. I'm a big fan of silky egg yolk on a breakfast sandwich even when it ups the messy quotient substantially.

A slight variation on Traditional Sandwich de Lomito is the Cacique Lambare, or "warrior" sandwich. Thinly grilled steak, broken egg, port salut cheese as well as sauteed mushrooms and onions are piled on LeBus Brioche and is another excellent choice. Arbol Cafe's menu has a host of other offerings for brunch, lunch, and dinner including bagels and croissants, omelets, chicken sandwiches, salads and sides.

One of the owners, Beth, is also a gifted baker, which is the quickest way to secure a place in my heart. She bakes decadent chocolate chip cookies in mini muffin pans so they turn out thick, dense and super chewy. I find it hard not to buy one every time I walk by.

Arbol Cafe
209 Poplar Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123
215.284.5788

Hava Nagrilla Kosher BBQ Contest

2009-05-30T08:19:00.004-04:00

UPDATE: Two teams have dropped out of the contest due to unforeseen circumstances. However, their entry fees have already been paid, and the organizers at Hava Nagrilla are looking for volunteers to fill in those empty spots at no cost. Please contact me if you're interested in participating in this delicious BBQ contest for FREE!

With one of the cutest play on words for the title of an event I've heard in a long time, this Kosher BBQ contest held at Willow Grove Day Camp is not to be missed! The event is on Sunday, June 7th, and kicks off at 10 am, with eating and festivities planned throughout the day until 3pm. There is no other Kosher BBQ contest in the Philadelphia region and very few throughout the rest of the country, so if BBQ is your thing, don't let this opportunity pass you by.

A host of celebrity judges (Sixers announcer Marc Zumnoff, chef Derek Davis, and meteorologist Glen 'Hurricane' Schwartz!) will lend their taste buds to picking the top contenders among the 16 teams currently signed up to compete in Chicken, Brisket, Beans and Beef Ribs. In addition to those high-profile judges, my friend Jess (from Fries with that Shake) and I were asked to serve on the food judging panels, and we happily accepted!

From the Hava Nagrilla website:

Golden Slipper Club & Charities is hosting this unique event for the general public to promote Jewish culture and raise money for our charitable endeavors. It will involve a wide array of activities, all in the name of family fun, camaraderie, and charity including:

The Kosher BBQ contest, complete with trophies for the best beans, brisket, chicken, ribs, best team name, most creative booth, and overall grand champion

Celebrity judges who will determine the best recipes

Kids Corner with moon bounce, games, face painting and other great activities

3-on-3 Basketball Tournament

Kosher BBQ Cooking Demonstration by Chef Thomas J. Macrina, Executive Chef of the Desmond Hotel

Raffle drawing for a brand new Mini Cooper. Buy a raffle now!

Kosher Pickle Eating Contest

Rubber Chicken Toss Contest

Live Entertainment and more!

Root Liqueur

2009-05-28T07:53:00.005-04:00

Coming this June to PLCB stores in the Philadelphia area is Root Liqueur. The folks that brought us the deliciously smooth Hendrick's Gin and Sailor Jerry Rum, have created a totally new, 100% organic spirit.

Root was created for the Art in the Age brand and based on an early Native American recipe for Root Tea. Made with herbs, citrus, spices and pure cane sugar, Root is unlike any liqueur you've had before, but remarkably familiar due to it's similarities to Birch Beer and Root Beer.

I was lucky enough to attend a tasting of Root at Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction down on 3rd street in Old City. Nicholas, an extremely skilled bartender who lends his talents to Apothecary Lounge, was behind the make-shift bar mixing up his original cocktail recipes created with Root.

With a complex profile of anise, birch, vanilla, citrus and pepper, Root mixes up best with a light spirits or dark beer. But can also be enjoyed neat, or with a single ice cube to release the rich and smoky flavors. My favorite cocktail of the evening was Root & Birch, a good pour of Root Liqueur and Pennsylvania birch beer over ice.

Because of the aromatic nature of Root, it has endless possibilities outside of the glass and in your baked goods. On hand were a delicious Shoo Fly Pie made with Root as well as a quick bread baked up with Root-soaked fruit. My guest for the night, Kitchenplay, and I quickly thought of a handful of ways we'd like to use Root when it hits the market: added to a quick chocolate sauce, mixed with powdered sugar for a quick bundt cake glaze, or even as a background flavor in a batch of chocolate truffles!

For more information on this awesome new spirit about to hit Philadelphia liquor stores next week, visit Art in the Age.

O Sandwiches

2009-05-12T19:27:00.007-04:00

I'm a bit behind jumping on the Vietnamese Hoagie Bandwagon, but jumping I am. These things are great sandwiches! Characterized by crusty french baguette surrounding crunchy lightly pickled veggies, this sandwich is a light lunch in comparison to a traditional Italian-style hoagie.

I devoured this particular sandwich after picking up my race packet for the Broad Street Run down by the stadiums. Since I was practically in the neighborhood, and had my trusty foodie friend Jess along for the ride, and we were hungry, we just had to try out O Sandwiches as neither of us had been there for a hoagie. Jess is a veteran Vietnamese hoagie consumer, so I let her be my guide. I chose the BBQ pork bahn mi and said yes when the counter girl asked if I wanted jalapenos and black pepper. The pork was shredded and had a deep pink tone to it from the BBQ marinade. Fresh sliced cucumber as well as pickled carrots and daikon are added next, followed by slices of jalapenos, cilantro and black pepper.

The grilled pork bahn differs only slightly from the previously pictured version. Here thin slices of pork are quickly grilled and lightly seasoned before hitting the bread and getting loaded up with veggies.

We also ordered the pork summer rolls. A well-seasoned link of Vietnamese sausage was split down the middle and rolled up with lettuce, rice noodles, carrots and cucumber. Served with a hoisin peanut dipping sauce, this was a fresh and tasty appetizer.

Even though I really enjoyed the two sandwiches from O, rumor has it that better Vietnamese hoagies are available in the city, so more taste testing will continue through the summer. Please let me know where you think I can get the BEST Vietnamese Hoagie in Philly and I'll go try them out.

O Sandwiches
1205 South 9th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
215.334.6080

Peanut Butter Exhibition #6 Barbecue Challenge

2009-05-12T07:06:00.002-04:00

Summer is peeking it's head around the corner, so the next Peanut Butter Exhibition Challenge is going to celebrate the outdoors by featuring recipes for the barbecue grill that include our theme ingredient, peanut butter!

Along with my co-creator Nick, The Peanut Butter Boy, this Exhibition is happy to continue with the support of Kitchen Courage and What's For Dinner? While the pool of recipes in the round-up is a prize in itself, this time around we have have a special gift from Stonyfield Farm for the ultimate winner of this barbecue challenge.

Think outside of the box on this one, do you have a secret weapon with a peanut butter marinade? Salad dressing? Barbecue sauce? Bring out those recipes and pick one to submit to our challenge and you could be a winner. The deadline for submission is June 8th @ Noon, Eastern Standard Time.

Recipes will be judged via the photo, recipe, and instructions for preparation in terms of Peanut Butter Weight, Portability, Creativity and Preparation Time.

Post and submit your “Barbecue” recipe by the deadline - one entry per person so choose wisely. Pictures are highly recommended but not required. You may use any nut butter instead of peanut butter since nut butters are easily interchangeable. Please link to The Peanut Butter Boy's Post from the posted recipe to indicate that you are entering this contest.

Click here to submit your recipe online. Alternatively, email “pbe@peanutbutterboy.com” with “PBE #6″ as the subject and the following information:

Name
Email
Recipe Title
Recipe or Recipe Permalink

All recipes will be listed but the judges will vote for the Top 3. All 3 winners receive a badge to place on their site. Courtesy of Stonyfield, the first place winner will receive a Stonyfield yogurt cookbook, a reusable Stonyfield shopping bag, 2 (16oz) containers and 4 (5.3oz) containers of Oikos greek yogurt and various other coupons. Good luck!

SugarBomber

2009-05-07T12:17:00.002-04:00

Citysearch has launched a new website devoted to desserts called SugarBomber. I was lucky enough to be invited to be a SugarBomber Dictator, submitting photos and descriptions of scrumptious desserts from my dining escapades in Philadelphia and beyond. I'm excited about the site, it has me drooling on a daily basis, so I want you all to check it out too!

Every day new photos are added from across the country, each one more delicious looking then the next. If you've got a sweet tooth like I've got, you're going to love it. You can follw @TopTooth on Twitter for regular updates about SugarBomber, or add SugarBomber to your RSS feed so you don't miss a bite.

2009 Broad Street Run

2009-05-02T15:44:00.002-04:00

I'm participating in my first distance run tomorrow morning at 8:30 sharp. The Broad Street Run is a 10 mile race starting at Central High School and ending in the Navy Yard down in South Philly. I'm carbo-loading tonight with a pasta dinner. I'm making whole wheat penne with zucchini, peppers, mushrooms and grilled chicken, as well as a loaf of garlic bread. I've been training for this thing for months, but the butterflies in my stomach have been aflutter all day today. I hope the carb-overload dinner will send me into an early and deep slumber and I will awake tomorrow ready to kick Broad Street's ass, in the rain.

As a reward, my friends at A Full Plate Cafe have invited me to brunch, complete with mimosas. Just what I'll need after a damp 10 mile run.

Wish me luck!

Five Guys Burgers & Fries

2009-04-28T08:33:00.004-04:00

For the second meating of Burger Club Philadelphia, created by the lovely Jess from Fries with that Shake, a group of 20 or so meat fans met at Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Center City.

We took up about half the seats available for dine-in, and the staff was welcoming to the sheer number of us as well as our obsessive photography.

Whether you're taking your food to go or eating in, your burger and fries are stuffed in a brown paper bag, the perfect vehicle for the the grease laden food you are about to consume.

I adore a little smokey bacon on top of already gut-busting sandwich, so I got the bacon cheeseburger (which at five guys is 2 patties, if you want a single burger you need to order a "little" burger) with fried onions and pickles, and added my own ketchup later. This burger was a hot mess, in the most delicious sort of way. The bun was toasted, the cheese was melted completely, the onions were chopped and fried to the point of melt-in-you-mouth sweetness. It was a damn good burger.

The fries are hand cut, the skin is left on, which is a truly admirable thing to do to a french fry in my opinion. Unfortunately, this order of fries was not as crispy as is typical at Five Guys. I chalk this latest experience up to a rare occurrence as every other moment I've indulged in a fry from this small regional chain, they were quintessentially perfect crisp french fries.

If you haven't had a Five Guys burger or fries yet, make it your mission some time this week. A little red meat does a body good, it does a mind even better if you're sharing that meal with some good friends.

Make sure to join Burger Club Philadelphia via Facebook and receive updates about future meatings and eatings!

Five Guys Burgers & Fries
1527 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215.972.1375

A Full Plate's 3rd Annual Rib Cook-Off

2009-04-27T10:07:00.002-04:00

We're doing it again! It's a few months away, but mark you calendars now for the 3rd Annual Rib Cook-Off. Saturday, September 12th, 2009 will mark the third time grillers from across the metro converge to cook up ribs and engage in two other categories of competition.
More details to follow, along with an official website where entry forms, complete rules and sponsorship details will be posted.

Burger Club Philadelphia

2009-04-22T13:31:00.004-04:00

My friend and running buddy, Jess, aka The Burger Baroness from Fries with that Shake, started up a great foodie group a while ago called Burger Club Philadelphia. The goal is simple, find the best burger in Philadelphia. The method is genius, meet up with other burger aficionados at some of the areas most well known burger establishments and consume with abandon.

The flagship meeting took place at The Good Dog. Tonight is the second get-together and I will be in attendance, ready to scarf down a double with cheese at Five Guys (1527 Chestnut Street).

Those of you with an appetite for a burger should come out to meet and eat with us tonight at 7pm!

Que Chula es Puebla

2009-04-13T08:00:00.001-04:00

My neighborhood, and areas north of Northern Liberties, have gone through something of a Mexican food explosion (no pun intended) over the past year or so. Las Caszuelas opened up a sister location, Taco Riendo, which serves banging tacos and other traditional street food, while Cantina Dos Segundos and El Camino Real are lighting up second street with high-end tequilas and attempts at high-end food. During this time my go-to place for a decent burrito north of Washington avenue, El Ranchito, closed up shop much to my dismay. I was over the moon when I drove by El Ranchito's former location at 2nd and Master to see a Grand Opening sign for Que Chula es Puebla, and as soon as I possibly could I stopped by for a bite with one of my most trusted foodie friends.

Before we had a chance to look at the menu or open the beer we brought along from The Foodery, a plate of chips smothered with traditional refried beans and crumbled queso fresco was brought to our table along with two salsas. Both salsas were good, if not a bit too pureed for my liking. The flavor of the green salsa was excellent, heavy on the lime and cilantro, while the red salsa was a bit spicier, with a hint of smokey chipotle.

Guacamole was definitely a hit and full of flavor. Chunky guacamole is exactly what I like and this one totally satisfied. It was loaded with fresh tomatoes, red onion, garlic and fresh cilantro. Don't forget to order this as a starter as it compliments everything you could possibly order and they give you a huge plate of it!

Carnitas tacos are prepared traditionally with chopped white onion, cilantro and plenty of fresh lime wedges for squeezing. The pork was very tender and tasty, but I'm used to carnitas being shredded pork, so I was surprised with the way the pork was cut, but the meat was plentiful and delicious.

Flautas are freshly fried, not greasy in the slightest and filled with seasoned shredded chicken or beef, your choice. They're not shy about flavor at Que Chula es Puebla, and as you can see from the picture above, they're not skimpy with the crema or cheese either. Yum.

Vegetarians should be happy with their choices at Que Chula es Puebla. The vegetable quesadilla was stuffed with a variety of fresh grilled veggies and served with vegetarian rice and beans.

They're not reinventing Mexican food at Que Chula es Puebla. The location and atmosphere aren't fancy, and neither is the food. But the food is good and inexpensive and it's far less effort for me to walk up 2nd street a few blocks for a decent burrito than make my way down to Washington avenue whenever I have a burrito craving. For simple Mexican food at more than reasonable prices, check out Que Chula es Puebla.

Que Chula es Puebla
1356 N. 2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
215.203.0404

Sketch

2009-04-08T08:24:00.001-04:00

I rarely get a craving for a big juicy burger, but when I do, it's an insatiable kind of thing. Luckily, when the mood does strike, one of the best and freshest burgers available in Philadelphia is just about a mile walk from my house. The walk there and back is the perfect justification for scarfing one of these burgers and sharing an order of their killer hand-cut, skin-on, french fries.

Everything at Sketch is made fresh. The burgers are hand formed and never frozen. You can choose from the classic beef burger, the leaner bison, or the homemade veggie burger. (If you're feeling luxurious you can even upgrade to a Kobe beef burger!) On top of that you can get your choice of cheese (I'm partial to the horseradish cheddar) and a variety of sauces (I recommend the harissa aoili) and you can even add thick-cut applewood bacon. Burgers are cooked to order and are spot on in terms of doneness.

When Sketch first opened, they didn't serve the delicious french fries pictured above, instead they were serving burgers in paper boats perched atop a mound of cheese doodles. Cute and kitsch, but apparently not what Philadelphians wanted with their burgers. The ladies of Sketch listened and re-vamped and now they serve incredible hand-cut seasoned french fries instead of the retro cheese puff. This particular basket was served with a side of wasabi dipping sauce, which was thick and rich (and vegan) while delivering a nice kick along side the fried potato goodness.

I've always been too stuffed after a burger to indulge in one of their milkshakes, but every trusted source I know who has tried one has loved it. One of these days I may get an insatiable milkshake craving and I know just where to go to satiate it.

Sketch
413 East Girard Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19125
215.634.3466

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

2009-04-07T08:22:00.002-04:00

Sometime in February, while cruising around the web, I found a simple little recipe for a peanut butter pretzel sandwich dipped in chocolate. I made them for my sweetheart and my friends for Valentine's day, as they all adore the salty/sweet contrast as well as the peanut butter/chocolate combination. I enjoyed the treats too, but felt they were a little too rich and chocolaty (wait, is that possible?).

Since then, I've played around with the technique of making these little candies and the ratio of filling to pretzel to chocolate. My favorite iteration uses the square or round "checker" pretzels, a combination of brown and powdered sugar in the filling and a mere half dip in chocolate. This dessert is a crowd pleaser, I've yet to meet someone who can stop at just eating one! I made them for the most recent Philadelphia Food Blogger Potluck and my housewarming this past Sunday and they were a huge hit at both parties.

1 cup of peanut butter (creamy works best)
2 Tbsp softened butter or margarine
1/2 cup powdered sugar (you may need more)
3/4 cup brown sugar (you may need more)
Pretzels
1 bag good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 60%)

Combine peanut butter and softened butter in a large bowl with a fork or whisk. Add the sugars and stir to combine. At this point if the filling will roll easily into balls without sticking to your hands you're ready to go. If not, add more sugar ( a little bit of each) until you reach a consistency that is easy to roll.

Use a teaspoon measure, or a small cereal spoon to scoop the filling. Roll each portion into a small ball and set on a cookie sheet. I like to roll all the balls and then sandwich them between two whole pretzels. When all the balls are rolled and successfully sandwiched, stick the whole tray in the freezer for about half an hour.

Pour the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and heat at 30-second intervals, stirring occasionally until completely melted. Remove the pretzel sandwiches from the freezer and quickly dip each half-way into the melted chocolate. Return to the try and repeat with remaining sandwiches. When all are dipped, return the tray to the freezer to set up completely. Store the sandwiches in the refrigerator until serving time.

Makes about 45 sandwiches.

Will Pay with Food?

2009-03-20T08:38:00.002-04:00

Any web savvy folks/designers in the area that will work for food? Foodaphilia needs a bit of aesthetic help, but I'm as poor as every other graduate student out there. Shoot me an e-mail, let's haggle.

e

Blogs.com Top 10 Philadelphia Food Blogs

2009-03-17T07:57:00.001-04:00

Top Ten Philadelphia Food Blogs

Blogs.com contacted me recently to ask if I'd be willing to choose 10 of my favorite Philadelphia food blogs to be highlighted on their website. It took me all of about two seconds to agree. But what a tough list to write! Philadelphia has over 60 food bloggers who call this city their home so it was tough to pick just ten to call "The Best" when I read and appreciate them all. I managed to pick ten favorites, and here they are.

Top Ten Philadelphia Food Blogs

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse

2009-03-16T08:07:00.002-04:00

I was recently invited to Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse for a steak and wine tasting. I brought along friend and fellow food blogger, Jess, for a night of wine and deliciously prepared steak in an impressive and sometimes overwhelming setting. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera that evening, but luckily Jess and her iphone were present to make up for my bad form. Del Frisco's is located in the historic Packard Grande Building on the corner of 15th and Chestnut. The restaurant has three levels, two full kitchens, and a 34 foot wine tower that holds nearly 2500 bottles. The main floor is beautifully decorated with elaborate swags of curtain and dark wood.

I felt a bit out of place despite choosing my nicest dress pants to wear. There is a dress code, but apparently that doesn't apply to the waitresses who were clad in the miniest of mini skirts and fishnet stockings under thigh high black boots. Jess and I both agreed this was an interesting uniform, but when you're slinging cocktails to big wigs, I suppose every little bit helps. After a drink in the bar, we were brought downstairs to the Vault, which was in use when the space housed the First Pennsylvania Bank.

More importantly, the steak we sampled this evening was totally worth the awkwardness of the environment for me. The servers they had pouring wine and passing samples of steak were excellent, knowledgeable and dressed like adults, so the entire experience in the Vault made up for the bar experience on the main floor.

Executive Chef John Stritzinger came out with 9 cuts of beautiful raw beef on white plates to explain to us the nuanced differences between flavor profiles and tenderness in the cuts we would sample, and then the eating began! Del Frisco's started in the South so they're not shy about flavor. Each of their steaks is heavily dusted with salt and pepper before cooking and drizzled with clarified butter before a final run under the broiler prior to serving. The end result is a steak with flavor in every bite. We sampled the filet mignon, which was the most tender of all the cuts, but also the most subtle in flavor. Then on to the New York Strip, which is one of the most popular steaks in this country. My favorite was the Rib-Eye, the boneless version of Prime Rib, it has excellent marbling throughout so is loaded with flavor and remains tender when cooking.

If you've got someone to impress or you're having your own economic stimulus party, please visit Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse, they really know how to cook a steak and can help you pick out a wine from their immense selection that you'll love as an accompaniment.

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse
1426-28 Chestnut Street
(15th & Chestnut)
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215.246.0533

New Philadelphia Weekly Site

2009-03-12T09:20:00.002-04:00

Woah! The Philadelphia Weekly has just accomplished a terrific overhaul of their website. It all looks amazing, but the best part is the Restaurant Guide. You can search cuisines by neighborhood and see all the important details of every restaurant in the city, including a helpful description of the restaurants atmosphere and nibbles. There is also an entire section devoted to thinking locally in regard to food production and preparation. The new site is awesome, good job PW!

Sweet Potato Cake

2009-03-10T08:34:00.004-04:00

I began my love affair with the sweet potato sometime in September, a few weeks after I found I out I had Diabetes. Not only is the sweet potato a nutritional dynamo (it's high in fiber, Vitamins A & C, and betacarotene) but it has the lowest glycemic index of all the root vegetables. Sweet potatoes have a variety of applications, but most of my favorites fall into the savory category. The naturally occurring sugars in the sweet potato however, lend themselves well to desserts, such as traidtional sweet potato pie, so why not bake it in cake? I used my favorite butter cake recipe and adapted it slightly to accommodate the addition of mashed sweet potatoes. This cake is moist and dense, but surprisingly light feeling in your mouth, and just sweet enough from the addition of maple syrup.

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/3 cups milk
1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cubed, boiled, and mashed.
1/3 cup maple syrup

Cream the butter and sugars in an electric mixer until light and fully combined. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, incorporating completely after each addition. Let egg and butter mixture blend until very light in color, about 4 minutes on medium/high speed.

In a separate bowl add the flours, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine.

In a large measuring cup, measure the milk, add the mashed sweet potato and maple syrup and stir to combine.

When the butter mixture is light and fluffy, add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix well. Add 1/2 of the liquid ingredients and stir. Repeat with remaining flour mixture and liquid mixture, making sure to end with the dry ingredients. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl when giving it a final mix.

Pour the batter evenly between two 9 inch round cake pans that you've buttered and floured. Tap the pans lightly on the counter to remove any air bubbles and bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool cakes in their pans for 15 minutes, then turn out on to wire racks to cool completely.

When cakes are completely cool, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting, and decorate the sides with chopped walnuts.

Moving and Running

2009-02-25T07:49:00.005-05:00

Posts have been few and far between around here, a wicked combo of packing, moving, proposal writing, and training for the Broad Street Run has really put a serious pinch on my food writing time. I apologize, but it's going to be another week or so before the moving and un-packing are finished and I've acclimated to my running schedule enough that I can get around to posting about the yummy things I've been eating or cooking. I'm excited about all the changes though, while I'm sad to leave my roommate and the wonderful house she's let me occupy in the Art Museum area, I'm moving to my next favorite neighborhood, Northern Liberties. It doesn't hurt that the new place we're moving in to has two ovens. Two!

In the meantime, if you're interested in following my progress for the run in May, you can check out the video blog my friend Jess, from Fries With That Shake is undertaking to record our journey from couch to 10 miles.

from couch to 10 miles pt.1 from burgerbaroness on Vimeo.

Cafe de Laos

2009-02-12T08:08:00.005-05:00

I'm a loyal person. When I love something, I love it hard. You don't see many reviews of Thai restaurants on Foodaphilia, because I'm loyal to Erawan Thai Cuisine. This year, however, my resolution is to expand my comfort zone within Philadelphia, so I ventured closer to Broad street down Washington Avenue where I discovered a new Thai-Laotian love: Cafe de Laos.

Located just south of Washington Avenue on 11th street, Cafe de Laos is hard to miss with the neon sign and lavish front window display. The moment you enter you leave Philadelphia and travel to a land where the elephant reigns supreme. Seriously, the decor contains a high volume of elephant art, wall hangings, carved sculptures, candle holders. You name it, Cafe de Laos has it with an elephant on it. When I finished my dinner, and fought the urge to lick my plate, I half expected to see an elephant image on the bottom of the bowl.

I'm going to start with the one downside I could find at here at Cafe de Laos. Most starters are just okay, and the one picture above, the corn cakes with cilantro, may look impressive, but I found them really bland. The sauce served along side was overly sweet, which helped with the bland factor, but I wouldn't say it was an improvement. Worst of all, they stuck to my teeth and felt terrible in my mouth. I would never order these again and would advise you to avoid them too. Good appetizer choices include the Laos sausage, Tom Yum soup and the cabbage salad with spicy dressing.

Cafe de Laos completely redeems itself in the entree category. A decent selection of classic Thai dishes and curries round of the predominantly Laotian menu. Penang curry was rich with coconut milk and chilies as well as generous portions of tender chicken, carrots, green beans and peppers.

Massaman curry was also a hit. It had the exact consistency I look for in a curry, not too thick, or too thin, but just right. The way Goldilocks would want it if she were me.

When I think back on the food at Cafe de Laos and inevitably compare it to Erawan, the reigning champion of Thai food on my radar, I think what truly wins me over is the coconut ice cream at Cafe de Laos. Thick pieces of fresh young coconut are spiked throughout the super creamy and smooth frozen treat. I couldn't stop talking about how much I loved it the entire time I was eating it, and that's just about the best endorsement I can give anything.

If you like Thai or Laotian food and even have a tiny place in your hear for coconut desserts, you should venture to Cafe de Laos with a friend or sweetheart, a bottle of wine, and a big appetite.

Cafe de Laos
1117 S. 11th Street
215.467.1546

See's Candy

2009-02-09T07:33:00.001-05:00

When I was a kid and lived in California See's Candies lollypops were one of my most beloved treats. The California based chocolate and candy company has retail stores in most Western states, but if you live east of the Mississippi like I do, you can take advantage of their online ordering system and still enjoy the delicious variety of goodies See's has to offer.

All of See's chocolates are made with quality Guittard Chocolate and homemade fillings and centers that literally melt in your mouth. Pictured below is my favorite chocolate variety that See's Candies puts together, the Dark Chocolate Bordeaux, a brown sugar buttercream filling enrobed in dark chocolate and covered in chocolate sprinkles. I was sad there was only one in the whole box!

See's chocolates are addictive and the brand is so well-known for its quality that See's chocolates are an excellent way to make a fundraiser just a little sweeter. If I saw any organization holding a See's candy fundraiser by offering me candy bar or lollypops I wouldn't be able to pass buy without buying something. I know I'm not alone.

Quaker True Delights

2009-02-02T08:17:00.001-05:00

Amongst the many cool features of Foodbuzz, I've recently signed up as a Tastemaker, receiving products in the mail for review before they hit the market. Recently, Foodbuzz and Quaker partnered up and I was able to sample their new line of True Delights bars. Quaker thinks these stand apart from other granola bars on the market because they're made with a 'luxuriously delicious' mix of real fruit, whole nuts, and dark chocolate. For the most part, I have to agree, these bars are different and better than most granola bars on the market. I sampled all three varieties and would consider buying at least two of them in the store if I were to see them.

Each bar contains 140 calories and gets 40% of it's calories from fat, but with the high proportion of nuts to grains in the bars, a substantial amount of fat should be expected. They have significant protein and fiber content and can easily be toted to work as part of breakfast on the go or for a snack in the afternoon.

My favorite variety was the Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut. It was loaded with macadamia nuts, real banana chips and huge slivers of tender coconut. I definitely fall into the camp of coconut lovers, but those who don't probably won't enjoy this bar because the flavor of coconut is pronounced.

I also enjoyed the Honey Roasted Cashew and Mixed Berry bar. Cranberries and cherries grace this nutty bar with a necessary sweet-tartness. The bars come in a third variety, Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond, but I was less impressed with this variety because of the lack of chocolate on my bars. Only 2 chips for an entire granola bar is not enough. I'm sure this is within a reasonable realm of variation for mass production, so if you love the idea of this variety, you may have more luck with the chocolate ratio.

You can also try a Free Sample of Quaker True Delights granola bars by visiting the Quaker True Delights website.

Carman's Country Kitchen

2009-01-26T13:56:00.001-05:00

The tiny space that houses Carman's Country Kitchen can barely contain the amount of folk art and attitude that belong to Carman and her staff. Her minuscule kitchen puts out four creative seasonal combinations a week for $12 each. The service is friendly and personal. Your server will introduce himself by name and ask you and your friends your names as well. If Carman has time there will be a some cozy small talk and probably a little sass. They brew great coffee, but all other beverages are bottled and they welcome you to BYOB.

The corner spot literally has four tables and a small counter, so it can't accommodate a large group, don't even try. In warmer months, Carman puts a table in the bed of her pick-up truck (the red truck with yellow door) and serves up to six more more eager mouths.

Omelets are something Carman elevates to an extreme level. Her choices are adventurous but border on too busy for my breakfast tastes. Red wine poached mushrooms and goat cheese with herbs was a complex filling that probably would have been more successful with one less ingredient. Sides will set you back another five dollars but offerings such as the beautiful sausage patty, pictured above, are what keep me going back for more. A warm bottle of maple syrup comes to the table with your meal and a small pour of Grade B goodness on a bite of that sausage is definitely something I wish I had more often on weekend mornings.

Carman does french toast in a number of ways, all are delicious and made with thick custard soaked slices of challah bread. Pictured above is a tangy combination of strawberries and pineapple with lime syrup. I've also been lucky enough to devour the delicious Clementine, honey and coconut combination Carman whipped up one day. If you love French Toast, Carman will always surprise you with a funky new topping combination.

Pancakes are equally adventurous in composition. Light fluffy cakes are filled with spiced poached pears and topped with persimon marscapone cheese. Any pancake topping can also be served on top of a crunchy Belgian style waffle. If you're lucky enough to dine at Carman's when she's offering baked bean and smoked cheese waffles or raspberry pancakes with fig jam, then you'll be hooked too.

Overall, the food here is beyond creative and usually the seemingly bizarre combinations really please. It's a bit on the pricey side, brunch for two can run over thirty dollars. Add that to the possibility of a wait and you might just want to hit the Oregon Diner if you're strapped for cash or need to eat immediately. Save Carman's for the days when you've got a few extra bucks and a few extra minutes to hang out and enjoy the atmosphere.

Cash Only

Carman's Country Kitchen
1301 S 11th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19148
215.339.9613

Restaurant Week(s)

2009-01-26T09:37:00.002-05:00

Center City District's Restaurant Week started last night and in a move likely aligned to spur spending in this time of economic decline, most restaurants are participating for a full two weeks instead of just one. Check out the Foobooz guide to restaurant week for full details. They have links to restaurant week menus at participating restaurants as well as tidbits of information on extra courses, veggie options, and which menus they think are the most drool-worthy.

Caterpillar Cake

2009-01-25T10:01:00.002-05:00

I'm lucky enough to work twice a week as the baker/dessert-maker at A Full Plate Cafe, which, in addition to their unique southern comfort food menu, also does amazing catering. Occasionally a job will require a cake or special dessert which falls under my responsibility. A nice woman came into the cafe a few weeks ago inquiring about whether I could make a cake in the likeness of a caterpillar from Baby Einstein for her daughter's first birthday party. I looked up an image and decided that with the addition of a few new supplies to my kitchen I could totally make an awesome caterpillar cake, so I did.

I think it rocks. But I couldn't have done it without a few things. I acquired (5) 6X2 inch Decorator Preferred Round cake pans which I used to make the body of the caterpillar. I made each section of the caterpillar with two cakes and filled them with Avocado Icing or Cream Cheese Icing depending upon the cake flavor. I made three sections of Maple Butternut Squash cake and one each of chocolate and vanilla.

I achieved the vivid frosting colors using Wilton gel icing colors in Lemon Yellow, Royal Blue, Violet, Rose and Moss Green.

The entire cake is edible, save for the large cutting board upon which I built the cake and the lollipop sticks. The "dirt" is chocolate frosting, and all the facial decorations came from The Little Candy Shoppe on Liberties Walk.

Uzu

2009-01-21T08:28:00.000-05:00

Sushi is one of those cuisines that people obsess about. At first I thought it was a way for individuals to appear trendy in front of their friends and co-workers, but constantly talking about and eating sushi might be more like an addiction for some. On top of that, there are over 90 sushi restaurants in the Philadelphia area, this gives major fuel to the debate over which restaurant has the BEST sushi in Philly. This is a not a review of the BEST sushi restaurant in Philadelphia, I wouldn't dream of trying to convince a sushi-head to go and try anything other than their favorite spot for fear of the backlash. What follows is a review of a nice, quiet, clean, place to get fresh sushi that hasn't let me down upon repeat visits and I suggest you try it next time you're craving sushi without all the fuss of one of the bigger names. Uzu is a small BYOB serving up delicious sushi and Japanese fare.

Steamed gyoza dumplings are a traditional starter, filled with seasoned vegetables and shrimp, they're little pockets of scallion flavored dough that just scream for a dip in soy before landing lightly on your tongue.

The most important aspect of good sushi is the freshness of the products that go into making it, that's not a secret. Lots of places prep their veggies and fish too early and use them all day long, not the case at Uzu. Everything included in your rolls is prepared the moment after you order it, and served to your immediately upon it's completion. To top it all off, the prices are a good 10% to 15% less than you'd pay at some of the bigger, more well known Japanese restaurants, so go ahead and order a nice variety, you won't be sorry.

Even friends who aren't so into the sushi scene can still find appetizing choices on the menu. This simple dish of chicken teriyaki and asparagus is given a special twist with the arrangement of the food on the plate. Not sure how much a non-fish eater appreciates her chicken breast formed into the shape of a fish, but I found it adorable, and tasty.
Uzu
104 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215.923.9290

2009 Broad Street Run Training Team

2009-01-16T07:59:00.002-05:00

My friend Lindsey is an awesome personal trainer here in Philadelphia and she is offering to train you to get in shape for the 2009 Broad Street Run! Check out her website OutFit for more details on her traning programs. Below is the information on her distance run training services. I'm going to do it! Please join me!

2009 Broad Street Run Training Team

OutFit, Fitness Outside the Gym
Lindsey Schweiger, B.S. Exercise Science

The Broad Street Run is the largest 10-mile race in the United States, last year attracting over 19,000 runners. As a four-time finisher of this race and proud Philadelphian, I am inviting you to experience the sense of personal accomplishment and warmth of community that comes with preparing for and participating in this powerful event.

In training for an endurance race like the Broad Street Run, each of us faces a challenge. For some, ten miles may feel like an insurmountable distance to traverse. For others, it may feel realistic but confused with logistics: When should I run? How fast? What do I wear? What should I eat before? And still others may feel that they are practiced runners who want to improve their performance.

No matter what your hurdle in 2009 - train under the guidance of a running coach with the OutFit team! Feel the camaraderie and support of peers as we meet once each week for a "long run" group training. Explore your individual commitment further, following your personalized running program, with runs of shorter duration in between our meetings.

Make a commitment to improving your health and fitness level. Make new friends! Have an experience - though the training process can be tough, it is fun, enlightening, and rewarding.

And the race itself is AWESOME. Sign up!

2009 Broad Street Run Training Package:
Cost: $125
Includes:
Ten team trainings - see schedule below

Personalized running program - one of the following: beginner (for those who expect to walk/jog), intermediate (for those who would like to jog the duration), advanced (for those with a time-oriented goal)

Team T-shirt for race day

Weekly tips via email covering footwear, nutrition, injury prevention, etc.

All team meetings will be at Lloyd Hall, at the end of Boathouse Row:

Sunday 2/22 - 9 am
Sunday 3/1 - 9 am
Thursday 3/5 - 6 pm
Sunday 3/15 - 3 pm
Sunday 3/22 - 9 am
Sunday 3/29 - 9 am
Thursday 4/2 - 6 pm
Sunday 4/12 - 9 am
Sunday 4/19 - 9am
Sunday 4/26 - 9am
Sunday 5/3 - 8:30 am - BROAD STREET RUN

For more information about Lindsey and OutFit, click here. To sign up or inquire about this program, email lindsey.schweiger@gmail.com.

Black Bean Brownies

2009-01-15T08:08:00.002-05:00

The following is a post from my new blog, The Sugar. No worries, fearless followers, Foodaphilia isn't going anywhere. The reason for the new blog is a new focus on reduced carb and reduced sugar desserts and other cooking. This is a necessity due to a diabetes diagnosis a few months ago. Foodaphilia will still host my restaurant reviews and my truly decadent baking recipes, but The Sugar will reflect home cooking with a decidedly healthy slant, and each and every recipe will come with a single appetizing photo as well as nutritional information for the specific recipe. This post is meant as a way to introduce you and everyone else to The Sugar. Please add me to your reader or RSS feed.

From The Sugar:

When I stumbled across a recipe for Amazing Black Bean Brownies on 101 Cookbooks, I knew one day I would give it a try simply for the weird factor. At that point in my life I didn't know I had diabetes and didn't even notice the inclusion of agave nectar as the sweetener. I've been playing around with agave in baking and have had good results. It's 25% sweeter than sugar, so if you're swapping one cup of sugar in a recipe, use 3/4 of a cup of agave. The glycemic index of agave nectar is 27, extremely low compared to sugar or honey. On top of that, these brownies contain no flour and instead are loaded with black beans. That means high fiber!

These brownies are dark and rich with chocolate flavor, but they're purposely not too sweet. I like my chocolate dark and with little added sugar or milk to dilute the flavor of chocolate, therefore its very important to use the best chocolate you can find when you make this recipe. I made enough changes to the recipe that I'm publishing my version here, but if you're interested in more baking with agave nectar, check out the recipe's origin in Baking with Agave Nectar by Ania Catalano.

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (I used Ghirardelli Unsweetened baking bar, chopped)
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups canned black beans (look for a variety that has no salt added)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
¼ cup instant espresso powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs
1 cup light agave nectar

In a large microwave safe bowl melt the butter and chocolate at 30 second intervals until completely smooth.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the beans, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, vanilla extract, almond extract, and about 1/2 cup of the melted chocolate mixture. Process until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. The mixture will be thick.

Add the remaining walnuts, the espresso powder, and salt to the remaining melted chocolate and mix well.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minutes. Add the agave nectar and mix to combine.

Add the bean mixture to the chocolate mixture and stir until completely incorporated. Reserve 1/2 cup of the egg mixture and pour the remainder in the bean/chocolate mixture and mix well. Spread this batter into a 9 X 13 brownie pan that you've lined with parchment or non-stick aluminum foil. Beat the remaining 1/2 cup of egg mixture on high until thick and creamy, about 1 minute. Drizzle the thickened egg mixture over the top of the brownies and drag a toothpick or cake tester (I used a chopstick) through the batter and egg mix to create a marbled effect. (As you can see from the above photo, I probably didn't swirl my egg mixture in enough, but the end result wasn't totally unattractive, and the recipe still worked) Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Mine were done right at 30 minutes. When done the brownies will be slightly browned on top, but will still feel soft. In fact, these brownies will still feel soft until refrigerated for a few hours, and if you can wait overnight. Don't attempt to slice until refrigerated for at least 3 hours.

Makes 24 brownies.

Each brownie contains 14 grams of fat, 196 calories, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, and 4 grams of protein.

El Camino Real

2009-01-12T07:27:00.001-05:00

El Camino Real is the latest restaurant venture from Owen Kamihira, who already is responsible for one of Northern Liberties most cherished gems, Bar Ferdinand. El Camino Real's head chef, Jen Zavala strives to provide quality Northern Mexican food as well as real Texas BBQ all within a setting that makes you feel like you're nowhere near Philadelphia. So many appetizers and small bites are available that entrees will have to wait for a second post.

The chips and salsa aren't free, but for just $2.50 your server will bring you an endless supply of lightly seasoned chips and two salsas for dipping. I preferred the green tomatillo salsa over the lightly smoked tomato salsa, but both were good and upon repeat visits have been just as fresh tasting as the opening week.

Nachos come heaped with refried or black beans (your choice), cotija cheese, lettuce, guacamole, tomato and jalapenos. For just a few bucks more you can add the meat of your choice and make this starter more of a meal.

Vegetarian wings are chewy seitan strips, crisped in the fryer then smothered in homemade sauce. Served with a side of ranch or blue cheese as well as carrot and celery strips, even the non-vegetarian will find this well-executed vegetarian snack a satisfying accompaniment to one of El Camino's delicious margaritas.

An adorable cast iron kettle comes stuffed with macaroni and cheese goodness. The macaroni was a bit overcooked but that was more than made up for with the flavorful combination of creamy cheese and spicy peppers hidden beneath a crunchy breadcrumb crust.

Spicy dill pickle slices are lightly breaded and fried crisp. They're crispy on the outside but warm, soft and vinegary on the inside, not everyones cup of tea, but I really liked them. I enjoyed the buttermilk onion rings more than any other appetizer on the menu. The onions were sweet, cut thick and enveloped in a crust that wasn't so thick that you pulled the onion out of the breading when you took a bite. A house made smoked ketchup is served with the onion rings and makes the perfect dipping sauce.

Jalapeno poppers were some of the spiciest I've tasted. I'm a fan of spicy things, but these may have been a little too hot for me. The apricot chutney was a good contrast to the spicy jalapenos, but neither the sweetness of the chutney nor the creaminess of the cheesy filling did anything to squelch the heat of the fresh jalapeno peppers. Pig wings are the porcine version of the chicken wing. I believe they are the shanks from the rear leg trimmed and frenched. They are tender and flavorful when cooked correctly, and at El Camino Real, they certainly are cooked well.

House made ice creams pepper the dessert menu. My favorite is the coffee flavored ice cream, served with the Benuelos, small sugary doughnuts, the ice cream is smooth, creamy and richly coffee-flavored. I found the benuelos a bit tough, but would order the ice cream a la carte again and again.

El Camino Real
1040 N. 2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123
215.925.1110

Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

2009-01-05T17:17:00.005-05:00

I did loads of baking over the holiday season, but of all the tried and true recipes I used, this recipe for Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies was hands down my favorite and also a new addition to my recipe box. These cookies are chewy and moist on the inside and crisp and crunchy on the outside due to a rolling in raw sugar before baking.

We can thank my friend Michelle for this recipe, she snagged it from a Mennonite cookbook of her mother's, and was kind enough to share it with me. The recipe as written below has only a minor variation from the version Michelle passed on to me, and produces 6 dozen cookies, but can easily be cut in half for a more manageable number of cookies.

1 1/2 cups of shortening (I used butter flavored Crisco sticks)
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup of dark molasses
4 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
some finely grated ginger (this is an addition from Michelle's mother, so there isn't an exact amount, I would say I added about a teaspoon, and the cookies were very gingery)
Turbinado sugar (enough for rolling)

In a stand mixer, cream the shortening and sugar. Add the molasses and eggs and mix until well blended. Sift the flour and measure 4 1/2 cups into a separate bowl. Add the spices, salt, and baking soda and whisk to combine. Turn the mixer to low or stir, and add the flour slowly until well mixed. Stir in the freshly grated ginger and chill the dough for at least an hour.

After the dough has chilled for an hour, roll tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls and roll the balls in the turbinado sugar to completely coat. Place the dough balls about an inch apart on a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

The cookies should puff up and crack. When the cookies are done the cracks should still look a little wet, but the outside should look dry. Let cookies cool for two minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Peppermint Bark

2008-12-23T09:24:00.006-05:00

It's the season for baking and cooking all sorts of treats to indulge in at home and to give away as gifts. I made a few batches of peppermint bark this past week. And I'm not the only one in the food blog world whipping up this easy and tasty treat. Using a recipe from an old issue of Bon Appétit as inspiration, I swapped out the white chocolate for more dark chocolate and subbed Peppermint Joe Joe's from Trader Joe's for the peppermint candies. I made these substitutions because I'm not over the moon about white chocolate in large doses or for strong peppermint flavors. By reducing the amount of white chocolate and using peppermint scented cookies I got a product I was very happy with.

Aside from the recipe mentioned above, I was inspired when this box of cookies just jumped into my cart when I was shopping at Trader Joe's. If you don't know Trader Joe's, I'm sorry. I truly am. It's a great store with all sorts of rotating goodies to try and fall in love with, only to lament when they discontinue stocking your beloved products. Anyway, if you don't have a Trader Joe's you can use regular Oreo's and add peppermint extract to your chocolate.

Peppermint Bark

24 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
15 Peppermint Joe Joe cookies, coarsely crushed
7 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
6 Tbsp. heavy cream
¾ tsp. peppermint extract, optional

Turn a large baking sheet upside down, and cover it securely with non-stick aluminum foil. Measure out and mark a 9 x 12 inch rectangle on the foil.

Put the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 second increments, stirring after each increment until melted. Melt the dark chocolate in a similar way, using a larger bowl. Pour 1/3 cup of the white chocolate and the dark chocolate onto the rectangle on the foil. Using an icing spatula, spread the chocolate to fill the rectangle and swirl the white and dark chocolate together. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the crushed peppermint cookies. Chill until set, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small separate bowl transfer a cup of the dark chocolate and add the cream and peppermint extract, if using. Cool to barely lukewarm, about 5 minutes. Then remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator, and pour the cream and chocolate mixture over the swirled dark and white chocolate rectangle. Using an icing spatula –spread the chocolate cream in an even layer. Chill until very cold and firm, about 25minutes.

Rewarm the remaining white chocolate and dark chocolate in the microwave. Working quickly, pour the white and dark chocolate in spoonfuls over the firm ganache layer, and spread it to cover. Sprinkle with remaining crushed peppermint cookies. Chill just until firm, about 20 minutes.

Carefully lift the foil from the baking sheet onto a large cutting board. Trim away any ragged edges of the rectangle. Cut the bark crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips. Using metal spatula, slip the bark off of the foil and onto the cutting board. Cut each strip crosswise into 4 squares, and then cut each square diagonally into 2 triangles.

Pack into an airtight container, with sheets of wax paper between layers of bark to prevent them from sticking to one another. Store in the refrigerator.

Were you born on Dec 21st, 1978?

2008-12-12T08:43:00.005-05:00

If you were born on December 21st, in the year 1978, you and Morton's The Steakhouse will be celebrating your 30th birthday this year.

In celebration, Morton's is offering to feed a scrumptious dinner to the first 21 people who share their birth date. Proof of date of birth (valid I.D.)is required as well as advance reservations by calling 215-557-0724 and specifying "December 21 Birthday".

So what do you get if you were lucky enough to be born on the day that Morton's The Steakhouse was launched?

The free, birthday dinner consists of a single-cut filet; choice of Morton'sjumbo lump crab cake, shrimp Alexander, or broiled sea scallops; choice of
Caesar salad or Morton's salad with blue cheese dressing, chopped egg and
anchovies; choice of one side dish; and choice of Morton's Legendary Hot
Chocolate (Birthday) Cake or key lime pie.*

Additionally, Morton's is providing complimentary prime miniature
cheeseburgers in its bar area to all guests from 5 - 6 p.m. on Sunday,
December 21, in honor of the occasion.

Morton's The Steakhouse
1411 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102

*This special four-course "30th Anniversary Menu" is also available to all
Morton's guests for $49.50 per person through Sunday, December 28.

Running your mouth off...

2008-12-11T10:18:00.002-05:00

Can sometimes make you sound like a moron. Most of my fellow foodies contained themselves while Rick Nichols was around, but I decided to say stupid things and I'm going to blame the wine. All I can say is, sorry David.

That aside, I'm glad someone from the mainstream media attended our rotating potluck and that we made it on the front page of the Food section in the Philadelphia Inquirer. If you've yet to make a friend out of a food blogger, I suggest you act on it and get yourself invited along to our next potluck.

Philly Food Blogger Potluck

2008-12-10T08:09:00.001-05:00

This past Friday many area food bloggers (aka food and drink nerds) got together to eat and drink far too much! It was a terrific showing with lots of new faces. It seems every week or so a new food blog pops up and the more the merrier!

I tried to take pictures, but I'd already had a few glasses of wine by the time I pulled by camera out, so the majority were blurry and instead of posting them here. The only decent shot I got is the one above of cookies from Taylor of Mac & Cheese Review. The middle row are her Moravian Molasses Cookies that she whipped up just for me after I drooled over them on her blog. The cookies on either side were studded with black and cayenne pepper, then half dipped in chocolate, yum! For more delicious photos, I'll refer you to Albert's Flickr Set of the event. There you can find pictures of some of the yummy dishes we all enjoyed as well as a series of pictures utilizing the Pick Your Nose cups I brought along for fun. I brought my Coconuut Toffee Almond Crunch Cookies as well as a new Diabetes friendly recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies that can be found on my new blog, The Sugar.

It was great catching up with some old buddies and really great to make some new friends. I especially enjoyed talking with Rick Nichols, eating meatballs made by my new BFF, Jess, seeing my first Yule Log thanks to Lauren, and trying to refrain from gorging on mini cherry rum cakes from Cat.

Overall, between all that wine and all those sweets, my blood sugar took a serious hit, but I'm already excited for the next potluck. Thanks to Messy & Picky for hosting at their house!

Swallow: Mac & Cheese Bistro

2008-12-09T08:18:00.004-05:00

Last week, the former French inspired menu at Swallow on Liberties Walk changed drastically to the happiness and dismay of many Northern Liberties residents. I had some initial doubts about the menu too, it seemed eerily similar to a menu at a restaurant not even fifty feet from Swallow's front door, so I had to go check it out. I was happy to find that this rendition of mac and cheese is not an exact copy-cat of any versions already available in Northern Liberties.

The menu is a radical departure from Jason & Cindy's initial menu for Swallow. The new offerings encompass unfussy customizable comfort food all the way. Here's the skinny: You pick what size mac & cheese you want (small or large), then pick two cheeses from an extensive list, and up to three mix-ins for about $8 to $12, depending on the size you chose.

I brought a partner in eating who enjoys spicy things, so she chose pepper jack and cheddar cheeses with jalapenos, broccoli and scallions. The result was a bowl of smooth and creamy noodles with flecks of spice and perfectly steamed broccoli. Aside from the kick of the jalapenos, this dish was rather bland. Monterey jack is a seemingly bland cheese, but we expected more heft from the cheddar. Maybe a little more of a heavy hand with the cheese, please?

We also sampled a plate of mac and cheese studded with cheddar and Gruyere cheeses, bacon, grilled chicken, and sweet corn niblets. As far as flavor goes, this second plate surpassed the first, but was significantly less healthy for us. The sweet corn was an inspired addition and complemented the smokey bacon flavor very well. We opted to top both dishes of mac & cheese with buttered breadcrumbs which were then toasted under the broiler and gave each dish a nice subtle crunch on top.

I'm not one to judge on main dishes alone, so we tried a side of green beans. The menu said "slow-cooked" but I asked the server how they were prepared because I don't appreciate a green bean that has no texture. She replied they were sauteed with butter, what could be better? Well, she was wrong. Not only were the green beans cooked beyond recognition, they were doused with and sitting in a pool of salty brown sauce that had to have contained some sort of mushroom or beef stock. Not at all what I was expecting when I heard "sauteed with butter" but more true to the menu description of "slow-cooked". In my opinion, skip the green beans. I'd rather have canned.

Overall, Swallow's new menu is less appealing for the old crowd it used to draw, but is more appealing for those who want a reasonably priced comfort food meal with a serious level of customizability. The new menu is likely to keep Swallow afloat in these trying economic times, but I for one am going to miss the seared tuna over white bean puree and the perfectly grilled flank steak from their earlier incarnation. The mac & cheese debate will likely continue to roar in Northern Libs, but the newest venue for serving up this classic dish has some unique things to offer at an affordable price. If you check it out, let me know what you think. For me, if I'm craving mac and cheese, my first stop will be A Full Plate Cafe for their down-home version made with whole wheat pasta and baked to perfection with a crust of panko breadcrumbs. If AFP is closed, I'd head over to North Bowl for their sharp and creamy version topped with crushed goldfish. If those first two attempts at procuring Mac & Cheese failed, then I'd head to Swallow. Extra corn niblets, please!

Swallow Bistro
1030 N American St
Philadelphia, PA 19123

Easy Cranberry Raspberry Compote

2008-12-04T11:03:00.002-05:00

I enjoy the tangy bite of cranberries in baked goods, juice and sauces, but have never been too crazy about it in the traditional "sauce" form served with turkey around holiday time. So when it came time for Thanksgiving last week, I decided to forgo the canned variety and make a quick and easy cranberry sauce that wasn't too sweet or too solid in texture, but that had a slightly tart flavor and just enough body to not run all over the plate.

I started with a large pot, and added one pint of hierloom cranberries from Whole Foods along with 1/2 a pint of fresh red raspberries. I stirred the berries together with 3/4 of a cup of orange juice and 3 tablespoons of Brown Sugar Blend from Splenda.

Let the berries and juice come to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and let it cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes my raspberries had completely broken down, but the cranberries still maintained their shape despite being able to hear their skins popping from inside the simmering pot. I used my potato masher and gently pressed the mixture until only abount half of the cranberries remained whole.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl with a tight fitting lid and let it chill out in the fridge for a few hours before serving. The consistency is a bit thicker than a sauce, but not quite to the point of jam or jelly, so I'm calling it a compote. You can check out this picture to get a better idea of the consistency.

This recipe is so easy to do, it only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish and requires very little skill. It can also be made a few days ahead of your holiday party. In fact, the flavors of raspberry and cranberry meld together the more it sits, so you might want to make sure to prepare this compote a few days ahead of when you plan to serve it so that it develops maximum flavor.

Recipe Roundup: Thanksgiving Leftovers

2008-12-01T19:00:00.000-05:00

This year's Thanksgiving dinner was delicious. I ate almost everything on my plate (needed to save room for dessert!) and even though I had a house full of people for dinner, I still had a fridge full of food after they all left.

I grew up with a mom who was an excellent home cook, she has a small arsenal of recipes that she's repeated over the years to use up Thanksgiving Day leftovers. Turkey Tetrazzini was always a favorite of mine, while I clearly remember my father and brother preferring the leftover turkey straight out of the fridge or on a sandwich. But sometimes deviating from tradition is fun, and discovering new ways to use what may seem mundane after days of the same ingredients is a challenge I like.

I recently posted about a new twist for using your Thanksgiving leftovers, and tonight I'm planning on making Turkey & Dumpling soup, but lots of other creative ideas are floating around the web. Here are a few of the most unique ideas from some of my favorite bloggers.

Thanksgiving Pizza Pie from I'll Have Another Stout

Stuffing Frittata from My Last Bite

Double Chocolate Mashed Potato Brownies from Cookie Madness

How are you using your leftovers?

Thanksgiving Leftovers All Rolled Up

2008-12-01T09:01:00.001-05:00

Angela was just in town for my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, and came having just made some fun appetizers that are perfect for using up leftover turkey and fixings. She was kind enough to share the technique with me and the only ingredient I had to go to the store for was a tube of crescent rolls.

Unroll the tube of dough, and split it in half so you have a nice squre of dough to work with. Pinch the seams together well.

Spread some leftovers (in my case sweet potatoes roasted with olive oil, garlic, and basil) to within a half inch of the edges. Top with shredded turkey and some monterey jack cheese. Carefully roll up the crescent rolls (much like you would if you were making a jelly roll cake)

With the other half of the dough, I swapped out the sweet potatoes for cranberry sauce and put a tangy twist on this snack.

Put the rolls on a greased baking sheet and place in the freezer to firm up for about half an hour. After the rolls are firm, remove from the freezer and slice each roll into 12 pieces. Lay the slices on a greased cookie sheet and bake for about 14 to 18 minutes until golden brown.

These little roll ups encompass all the flavors of a Thanksgiving meal, but you can eat it with your fingers and it's a great way to use up whatever you have leftover. No sweet potatoes or cranberry sauce? Use mashed potatoes or green bean casserole. The possiblities are limited only by what you've got leftover in the fridge.

My Thanksgiving was lovely, by the way. I was surrounded by a great group of friends and many bottles of wine. Our fried turkey turned out to be more of an oil poached one, but it was still moist and delicious. Most importantly, everyone was stuffed and we laughed a lot, I couldn't have asked for a nicer holiday, so thank you to everyone who came over to my house, donated wine or beer (Thanks Suzanne!), or helped with the cooking or the clean up. You all are great friends, and you're welcome back next year.

Annual Orphans Thanksgiving

2008-11-22T10:58:00.003-05:00

It's no secret that I love to cook and eat. For that reason alone, it's not surprising that Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday of mine. It's a day about food and friends and being thankful for both. And my oh my, I'm grateful for all the friends and food in my life!

Last year's meal, pictured above, was a delicious success. This year, I'm keeping some things simple but adding a few dishes to my repertoire. I'm brining and roasting a turkey in my oven, while my friend Rachel is frying a turkey on my back porch. We decided to do two turkeys to accommodate our dozen or so guests, but couldn't fit both in my oven. Frying one on the porch is a perfect solution.

In addition to the roast turkey and the fried turkey, the menu will include:

Mashed Potatoes
Corn & Green Bean Succotash
Dinner Rolls
Steamed Carrots
Cornbread Dressing
Orange Cranberry Sauce
Spinach & Parsnip Gratin
Turkey Gravy
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Crisp
Oatmeal Cream Pies

Brandon has volunteered to make sweet potatoes and Pecan Pie. Collin, Donal and Lauren all all contributing wine to the celebration. I'm sure we'll all be so stuffed and drunk that we'll need to curl up for a nap, just like Zoey.

This is going to be a great meal not only for the food, but also for the company. Most of us live too far from our families to be able to visit them, so I'm happy we're all getting together to share a meal on a day that is about being with those you love. While I'm excited to see all of my friends, I'm especially excited for my dear friend Sara to come in from Chicago because I haven't seen her in over two years, and she is truly one of my favorite people on the planet.

I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday. Wear loose fitting pants and be careful with those turkey fryers!

Cafe Estelle

2008-11-17T10:03:00.001-05:00

Cafe Estelle is the newest in a line of popular brunch places in or around the Northern Liberties neighborhood. Unfortunately, word is slowly leaking out and Cafe Estelle is just as crazy as Honey's or A Full Plate on a Saturday or Sunday for brunch.

Once you find the restaurant, it's located on the ground floor of a complex of condos near 4th and Callowhill, you enter through the lobby and are greated with nice smells of breakfast sausage and rich coffee. The space is slightly industrial with small touches that attempt to make you feel like you're not in the lobby of a condo. It's cute, but I'm not sure I would call it homey or friendly feeling. I received the homeiest feeling from the cute frilly aprons that the servers wore around their waists. Adding to the industrial/cafeteria nature of the place are a few off the beaten path policies that Cafe Estelle implements. You are responsible for getting your own coffee, and for getting and paying your own bill. The coffee station is directly in front of their order counter, so at busy times it can be a confusing mess. The coffee is always hot and fresh, I just wish I didn't have to get it myself. It's not laziness, but the fact that I work in food service, when I go out to pay for food, I don't want to have to get up and get it myself. I'm paying and tipping for service, so serve me, please!

Breakfast sandwiches are only somewhat successful. Bread choices include bagels or house-made "hard" rolls, which the waitress assured me were soft and billowy, much like a croissant. Maybe their rolls are soft and billowy, but mine was hard and tasted stale. Equally annoying was the lack of veggie meat options, an additional $1 charge for lettuce and tomato, and the fact that my requested over-medium eggs were undercooked for a breakfast sandwich and ran all over my plate.

The table shared the fruit plate which was comprised of only fresh fruit. The banana, grapes, pineapple, canteloupe and blueberries were excellent, but the pear was so hard and dry, it was inedible. If they'd not served me the pear, I would have nothing but praise for the fruit plate.

Two eggs any style were cooked to order, but we were disappointed in the lack of toast choices and didn't feel like the tiny pucks of baguette were satisfactory for our purposes. When you order eggs over easy you need good toast to soak up all the egg yolk. These hard toast rounds helped very little with eating the rest of the dish. The best part of this breakfast was the house made breakfast sausage. It was lightly flavored like sage and had a gloriously fresh texture that I appreciated.

Every day at Cafe Estelle there are specials which may be some of your best bets. This day's omelet was spinach, red pepper, and goat cheese. The eggs were soft and smooth, and the omelet was beautifully folded, but the filling was skimpy and the accompanying potatoes were soft and mushy.

You can't be everything to everyone, and this is true at Cafe Estelle. The restaurant's committment to sustainability is clear with it's selection of organic fair trade coffees and locally raised meats. However, in a neighborhood as diverse as Northern Liberties, you'd think that at least one vegetarian meat substitute would be offered, or that with all the great locally made bread in the city, they could give you a choice for your toast.

Cafe Estelle
444 N. 4th Street
Philadelphia PA 19123
215.925.5080