Philly Market Cafe

Stockton's Farmers Market

2012-01-29T16:42:00.002-05:00

I was off doing some recon at Stockton NJ's Farmers Market. While I was there I had this excellent pork sandwich from Mighty Quinn.

I had a great visit there. This is an indoor year round farmers market. Yippee an indoor winter market! Great idea right?

I grabbed a few ingredients and chatted with some vendors. The atmosphere there was friendly and relaxed. I saw plenty of tempting products. I tried out coffee, bread, cheese, fish, lamb and chipped steak. I have high hopes for this stuff. I will be reporting back soon details on how things cooked up.

Artsy Tartsy

2012-01-28T23:11:00.005-05:00

We had a few of these onion and chevre tarts for meals during the past week.They were left over from last Saturday's rainy market. I found out this one tastes great with with a beer.

Mini canele just out of their molds.

Artsy

FYI ... There's a New Crapregator in Town

2012-01-27T13:06:00.005-05:00

FOOBOO is on notice! A bigger shovel has landed in Philly. Guess what? They've got a shovel full o' sexy.

Does OXO make a tool for devaining the chefs?

Spot Prawns Scampi Style

2012-01-24T14:21:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday's Rittenhouse Market was a chilly, wet affair with just a little bit of biz being conducted. One bright spot was the acquisition of another 1# bag of spot prawns from Otolith.

The 'scampi' technique uses the spot prawns assets to very good effect. I used this bloggers recipe as an outline. We left the shells on and split them along the top. We did not bake them at all. Instead we convection broiled them from a middle rack. It worked great but I let them go maybe a minute too long. We served it up with a crispy Italian load to dredge the pan and bowls of tortellini and escarole soup. Hasty tasty!

Saturday's Tarts: Mascarpone and Meyer Lemon or Petit Billy With Caramelied Onion

2012-01-20T11:37:00.003-05:00

Fresh Loire Valley Chevre from DownTown Cheese RTM

Savory Tart with Petit Billy, Caramelized Onions, Herbs, Guanciale

Spot Prawn & Root Veg Pot Pie

2012-01-19T12:22:00.002-05:00

We're both big fans of Otolith's products. Murat was at Market a few weeks back with a few sizes of spot prawns. I was too late for the big ones but I did snag a bag of the mediums. They were in the 21-25 range.

Pot pie probably isn't the best way to utilize these fantastic sweeties. But, in my fridge, a few prime root veggies and a ball of pastry dough suggested to me that a pot pie would be in line.

The raw prawns went into ramekins, with roasted celeriac, turnips, fennel along with sauteed leeks and crimini's, layered between veggies. I topped the ramekins with a circle of pastry dough. I did not line the ramekin.

This baked up real nice. The root veggies and shrimp are happy partners. A dose of Pernod amped up the fennel note. I used a little guanciale to bring a porky base note to the assemblage. These got broken into so quickly I didn't get a chance to take a pic of the finished dish.

Escape to the Cape

2012-01-17T19:02:00.003-05:00

Sunset Beach, Cape May Point- Yesterday

Belles Cakery Stowaways from Philly

Calzone from The Italian Affair, North Cape May

The New Dinics Looking GREAT

2012-01-15T18:53:00.001-05:00

ATTENTION CHEESE STEAK TOURISTS

Reading Terminal Market is NOT the spot to get a cheese steak.
Grab a roast pork and you'll have a legit Philly taste experience.

Osso Buco

2012-01-15T11:49:00.007-05:00

These shanks were beauties. $7.99/# at South St. SuperFresh

Winter Market Tarts

2012-01-13T22:39:00.000-05:00

Livengood's farm continues to deliver. We grabbed these turnips and some equally choice leeks at East Goshen Market Thursday. They are roasted and now in tomorrow's savory tart. The sweet tart uses Beechwoods' bosc pears and the last of their prune plums that we put up in Autumn.

We're at Rittenhouse and Chestnut Hill Farmer's Markets tomorrow.

Surprise Super Tasty Goat Plate

2012-01-13T15:45:00.005-05:00

I have been hearing all kinds of positive stuff about Jon Cichon's cooking at Lacroix.

After lunch @ a.kitchen on Tuesday we stopped into Bar 210 for a libation. Our timing was miraculous. In the kitchen Jon was putting together dishes for a COOK goat head-to-tail deal.

Check out this remarkable plate that Jon sent out to the bar. It wowed both of us.

Lunch @ a.kitchen

2012-01-13T10:18:00.014-05:00

We've been trying to make it to a.kitchen for a while. We finally arrived on Tuesday for lunch. I didn't know about Craig LaBan's 3 bell review where he mentions "vivid nibbles." A combination of hype, along with management and culinary pedigree, made it a must visit for a snapshot of state of the art grubbing, Rittenhouse Style.

The layout wasn't what I was expecting and was a little closer than I imagined. A decent sized, prominent open kitchen communicated a very food-centric design.

I found the menu items alluring and was tempted by plenty of the dishes. It took a few minutes of negotiation to decide on four plates.

After the server took our order I was viewing the kitchen when this guy (horns) walks in from a side door. With no one on the line, he reaches in and grabs something out of a bowl to nibble on! Open Kitchen indeed.

I ordered the salad with the poached egg. The warm egg was served with a tortured hash brown, greens and bacon. I would have liked the egg bigger, hotter and brighter in flavor and color. The hash brown was not unlike versions served in hospital cafeterias, except it was overcooked. The greens were tender, crisp and lightly dressed. The dressing was pleasantly unctuous but lacked zingy brightness.

Lil lady had the beet salad. We agreed that the 'chevre' in the salad could have been mistaken for mascarpone. The flatness of the cheese element was a big problem in this dish. The veggies in both salads were prime.

I had the cheese steak. My sandwich was served with home made potato chips. Chef put them on my plate from a bowl behind the line. You know the bowl I'm talking about, right? I prefer chips that are lighter, crisper and saltier. They tasted more like oil than potato. The steak sandwich was a disaster. The chewy roll with the pre-chewed meat is a poor match. I couldn't taste the cheddar but I bet it contributed to the overall greasiness factor. None of the traditional steak sandwich garnishes were offered.

Lil lady was served lamb Bolognese. The menu description says "with tagliatelle." Right away we were both expecting an explanation from the server about the noodle substitution. None was forthcoming. This dish was tasty, but a thick lasagne like noodle with ragu doesn't fly like a tangle of freshly prepared tagliatelle. It was a disappointment. I checked LaBan's review and it seems like he had the same noodle. He writes about a "frilly-edged tagliatelle." What? I referred to The Geometry of Pasta to confirm my suspicion of shenanigans. The book says that tagliatelle was invented by Chef Zefirano to mark the marriage of Lucrezia Borgia to Alfonso I d'este and that, "...the pasta was supposed to be so thin that the Basilica di San Luca could be seen through it, via the cooks window." The noodles served with this dish were nothing like that. They were tasty enough but not, to my taste, what makes tagliatelle de rigeur with ragu Bolognese.

Bread and butter are not part of lunch service. I'm not a fan of a pricey lunch that doesn't include this essential element of hospitality.

People Who Hate Obama More Than They Love America

2012-01-11T19:15:00.002-05:00

Jesse Lagreca wants to talk to the haters!

"you would rather pay ZERO taxes than you would see a newly born baby get access to quality health care, you cheer when we discuss denying health care to young people with preventable diseases, and you boo when we discuss the First Ladies plan to cut back on childhood obesity."

"Republicans can NOT win on the issues. They've got NOTHING. All they have is a divide and conquer class war that pits ignorant racist and bigoted people against the rest of us in a meaningless battle of wedge issues and the already proven to fail George W. Bush agenda again of tax cuts for the rich, deregulation, privatization and war profiteering and nothing else, so all they can do is blame black people, gays the government, anybody and everyone else for their own failings. The party of personal responsibility, my ass."

The Canele and the Cupcake

2012-01-11T12:51:00.010-05:00

Is the canele going to be the "new cupcake"? So many well informed trend observers have predicted this role for the canele in 2012.

Doesn't it seem like cupcakes may be exposing their insecurity by trying too hard? Cupcake artists are amazingly prolific with their creations. Practitioners have explored every last theme to bring us cupcakes unique beyond expectation. Meanwhile the canele is essentially the same anywhere it's properly made.Will those who esteem expressive cupcakes respond to the simple poetry of the canele? I predict that folks who covet jimmies will be unimpressed by the canele's golden, caramelized robe.

What about the numb satisfaction of ingesting 500-600 calories in a few frosted bites? There's no comparison. A canele with about 1/3 the calories of an average bakery cupcake is a guilt free pleasure. In its place it offers less fat but more nourishment both gustatory and nutritionally.

One excellent thing about all the attention is that more people will be converted to or at least blessed with the canele experience.

Santucci's Stellar Pizza

2012-01-07T15:56:00.001-05:00

Post farmers market we chowed down on pizza from Santucci Christian St. This was fantastic. As tasty as any pie that I've had from the old O Street spot.
Bravo Santucci!

The Other Caramelle

2012-01-06T19:44:00.003-05:00

It was my first try and it took me forever to make these caramelle. They are filled with potato, reggiano and rosemary, sauced with maitakes.

The photo does not do the plate justice. This was super tasty with very complimentary contrasts and combinations.

Under the Banner Of Heaven a Reading by Mitt Romney

2012-01-05T17:28:00.002-05:00

Krakauer admits he wanted to describe how today's LDS Church, with their clean-cut, do-good approach, is at odds with its founding history.

The negative reviews of this book appear to come from LDS members who are unhappy with Krakauer's history of their church. It's a pity they
missed his important points on the danger of revealed religion (where anyone can justify anything)

This is an extraordinary book, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Though the Mormon Church has expressed it's hostility toward the book, as with all ostriches, they are simply sticking their head in the sand and asking the rest of us to follow suit. Thank goodness for people outside the Church who look in, and tell us what they see.

Rangers Fan Pummeled as Cops Wait for Occupy to Occupy Rittenhouse

2012-01-05T15:00:00.001-05:00

Why didn't Philly popo foresee the potential for trouble on 9th st after the Winter Classic?

Answer: PPD foreseers are too confounded by Occupy to make a move out of Rittenhouse Sq. They've been anticipating this visit with a fleet of vehicles parked in the park with their motors running for weeks.

Lacroix Loses Eric Simonis

2012-01-03T15:30:00.004-05:00

Long time sommelier and recent GM of Lacroix Eric Simonis has resigned his position.Eric supplied more than his share of Lacroix's credibility for years. Outside of its address and eponymous legendary chef, Lacroix's tenuous slot in the top echelon of Philly fine dining has been secured, in recent years, through Eric's credentials, style and diplomacy.

Happy New Year's Eve

2011-12-30T18:37:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year to ALL

An especially Happy New Year to our fantastically loyal and adventurous customers.

Chestnut Hill is our only market for tomorrow so you folks got all the attention.

Cherry and Vanilla Ricotta Tart.

These cherries are South American. The ricotta is South Philadelphian.

Canele and Tarts for Santa, Sound the (Black)Trumpets

2011-12-22T10:15:00.003-05:00

Santa is lucky this year. Why? Because this Saturday, Christmas Eve, we'll have canele and tarts at Rittenhouse Farmer's Market.

The savory tart is made with black trumpets and cremini from Iovine with roasted turnips and celeriac from Tap Root. We used St. Maure and Petit Billy and fresh herbs. We went all out for you Santa!

Sweet tarts are made with Cameo apples from Three Springs Farm and prune plums from Beechwood Orchards over frangipane made with Mountain View eggs and Shankstead butter.

There Is Only One Issue In America

2011-12-16T09:57:00.001-05:00

Democracy in America is a sick joke and the masses aren't laughing anymore.

CEO pay raises jump a median of 27% in 2010, report finds

Elizabeth Taylor's jewelry sells for $115 million

I was obsessed with politics in the '80s. I've recovered and I'm feeling much better now thank you.

By the time I realized, as interesting as it was, I'd better stop this stuff and try to earn a living, I had discovered many of our social problems and quality of life issues could be traced to the same political source: our corrupt-by-definition electoral system. The solution to the problem was as easy to discover as the cause: The elimination of all private finance in the electoral process.

I was working doing most of my research in the area of our foreign policy since WWll, whatever fell under the umbrella of international liberation politics, but I examined and analyzed a fair amount of local issues as well.

I wanted to know how things work? Where's the power? Who's pulling the strings?

The economy of the world came down to the unholy trinity of guns, drugs and gasoline -- military industry, drugs (legal and illegal), and energy -- and now I would add agribusiness as the fourth controlling commodity, and always with the enabling bankers never too far out of sight making their profits far too often from wars and slave labor.
While that readily explained the suffering of the Third World, it didn't immediately answer why in America it was possible for so many people to be unhappy with our government's decisions, both foreign and domestic, when we're supposedly living in a democracy.
A quick analysis of our electoral process revealed the obvious answer. The simple fact is we do not live in a democracy. Certainly not the kind our Founding Fathers intended. We live in a corporate dictatorship represented by, and beholden to, no single human being you can reason with or hold responsible for anything.

The corporation has but one obligation, which is to increase profits for its shareholders by any legal means necessary by the next fiscal quarter. They have no moral, patriotic, social, environmental, generational or even sustainable responsibility. They have only a short-term economic mandate and their only responsibility to society is to stay within the law to accomplish it.

This doesn't mean corporations shouldn't exist or even that their directors are evil by their very DNA. It has been a legally acceptable basic flaw in the form of our capitalist system that allows corporations to operate without a moral compass or obligation to society -- but that's a discussion for another day.

The law is rarely a problem because the corporations' legal obligations are pretty much designed first and foremost for their maximum profit by the legislation created by the legislators belonging to our two national political parties, both of which are wholly bought, sold and controlled by Wall Street. The banks and the corporations. In other words the game is rigged. Feel like a sucker? We all do because we all are.

The manipulation, aided by a very willing media also owned by the corporations, has made things easier beginning with what has become the amazing Orwellian staple of every newscast, selling the public on the lie that the Dow has somehow become America's scoreboard!

We're all hypnotized, rooting for them like they're our home team at a football game, cheering for THEIR scoreboard mindlessly forgetting WE'RE THE AWAY TEAM!!

You think your congressman is working all day to get you a job? He may want to. He or she is probably not a bad person. They probably want to do the right thing. But they can't. Long-time Capitol Hill staff and campaign strategists tell me the average legislator spends one-third of their time (or more) every day raising money or on activities related to raising money.

Yes, they are "elected" which creates the mass delusion of democracy to keep the masses from rioting, but congressional races are costing millions of dollars and some Senate seats are going for tens of millions each, and they're predicting well over one billion dollars for the next presidency.

That's some democracy we've created there, isn't it?
Of the people?
By the people?
For the people?
What people?

Democracy in America is a sick joke and the masses aren't laughing anymore.

Yes, we can demonstrate. We can march. We can write and sign petitions to our Representatives. We can occupy.

And we should because it's healthy to vent, and we don't feel so all alone. But the truth is, other than the value of venting, we're wasting our time. It is naïve to expect political results from any of these activities.

Our representative can give us lip service. A lot of sympathy. Empathy even. But we don't pay their media bills, gabeesh?
We need to eliminate all private finance from the electoral process.
And let's not be distracted by "reforms." Let's spare ourselves the unnecessary discussions about transparent disclosure, or the conflict of interest of foreign countries buying favorable treatment, or protection after protection being gutted by dangerously diluted regulations, or trying to impose this limit or that limit, etc., etc., etc.
Campaign finance doesn't need reform. It needs elimination.
To accomplish this we must overturn Buckley v. Valeo, one of the two or three worst decisions in the history of the Supreme Court.
The ruling makes the extraordinary decision that money is protected by the First Amendment.

Presumably Chief Justice Gordon Gekko presiding!
These smartest guys in the room actually decided that spending money is the equivalent of free speech. You might wonder why no one in that smart room stood up and said wait a minute, if money is speech, isn't lack of money lack of speech?

You know, as in the rich get to talk, and the poor don't? How are the non-moneyed classes represented by this decision?

I guess nobody stood up then, but it's time to stand up now.
In fact, I am now introducing a new pledge to be signed by our legislators. Of both parties. Indies too. Everybody's welcome.

THE PLEDGE FOR A DEMOCRATIC AMERICA
(We'll need someone more educated than me to draw it up, or we can copy Grover Norquist's anti-tax pledge, but it would go something like this.)

I, The Undersigned, pledge to overturn Buckley v. Valeo and eliminate all private finance from the electoral process, thusly restoring America to its democratic principles. I may take corporate, PAC, SuperPAC, or Chinese money to get elected or reelected (martyrdom accomplishes nothing), but upon my election I will make campaign finance elimination one of my immediate top priorities.

Now somebody should be starting a new Third Party whose platform is dedicated to this one idea. Twenty-five years ago that's what I'd be doing right now.

But the need for a Third Party aside, this idea applies for everyone. Just as much for the Tea Party on the right as the 99 Percenters on the left (the corporate oligarchy actually has no Party affiliation, it just looks Republican).

Both groups should adopt this issue. The Occupiers need not agree on anything else, because frankly nothing else matters, and a bit more focus on the root of our problems for the Tea Party certainly wouldn't hurt them either.

Let's see who's serious about representing the "people."
And you know what?

We might be pleasantly surprised at how many congressmen and senators sign this thing who would rather be doing something more dignified with their lives than spending half their time begging for money. Steven Van Zandt

Sweet Little Cabbage & Street Gazing

2011-12-12T12:32:00.001-05:00

Big Rube who serves up those tasty street photo's for the Philadelphia Daily News was lending a hand over at Down to Earth Organics this past Saturday. At market's end he came by to swap these sweet little beauties for a few canele.

Cabbage was steamed and tossed with some garlic-ey dijon, plated with ricotta spiked grits and an extremely tasty Leidy's pork chop from WFM.

White Pizza With Guanciale di Vitello

2011-12-10T17:08:00.003-05:00

Who can resist grabbing a bit of Sonny's guanciale? After I stopped in for a leaf lard purchase I popped across the street to Claudio and found ricotta, fresh, mozz, taleggio and Cerignola olives.

Local Manchego = Lanchego

2011-12-09T17:34:00.000-05:00

Here's the little scrap of Lanchego we snagged at Fair Food Farm Stand. If the price makes you salty wait till you taste it!

X Marks the Chestnut (Confiture)

2011-12-09T16:47:00.003-05:00

Chestnuts are so much a part of the yule season aren't they? My thumbs are in tatters from fussing with these guys. In the end I jarred up about 1/2 gal of chestnut jam. It's going into this weekend tarts with Bosc pears from Halteman, Lancaster co.

Celery Root, Cremini, Bacon and Cheddar Tart

2011-12-09T16:42:00.001-05:00

Dave from Z Food Farm told me about a tasty tart he grubbed on from The Pie Corps folks @ New Amsterdam Farmers Mkt in Brooklyn. It sounded tasty so we used their idea and added bacon, smrt right?

We used Porcsalt bacon, Z Food farm, celery root and a tasty organic cheddar that we grabbed at WFM.

We're baking these for this weekend's markets @ Headhouse and Rittenhouse.

Stryker Serious About Scrapple

2011-12-07T14:02:00.003-05:00

Nolan of Stryker Farms gave me a slab from a fresh batch of Stryker scrapple at last Sunday's Headhouse market. Thanks Nolan!

Stryker's product does indeed make Philly "The Big Scrapple". This is great stuff, deftly seasoned and not salty. A clean porky flavor light on the greasy but plenty of juicy and a total absence of the gristly! Nolan told me that he uses buckwheat flour and he doesn't use snouts--both practices account for the specialness of his scrapple. Most importantly he makes scrapple from his own heritage breed pampered pigs.

Hersha Hospitality to Acquire the Rittenhouse Hotel

2011-12-06T13:11:00.002-05:00

Good News! With leadership that is as cringe evoking as their 80's decor this place has been screaming update top to bottom.

Seasonal Pics

2011-12-06T12:15:00.004-05:00

A view of South Cape May (now underwater)

Thank You Metro, Philadelphia: Best of 2011

2011-12-06T10:06:00.000-05:00

Best next cupcake:

Caneles
What our new favorite portable pastry lacks in icing, it makes up for with a crackling, caramelized crust and custardy center. You can find the incomparable Market Day Caneles at the Headhouse Farmers Market, as well as at local coffee shops and specialty stores. That said, if you buy the last one at La Colombe, we will hunt you down by the trail of your disloyal joy. www.marketdaycanele.com

December 15th @ HyLo

2011-12-05T23:29:00.000-05:00

Holiday Tarts Persimmon Frangipane Candied Ginger Glaze

2011-11-25T12:25:00.003-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T13:30:00.000-05:00

Rwanda, Corinne Dufka--Reuters

Autumn in West Cape May

2011-11-15T15:43:00.002-05:00

Autumn Tarts Pears, Prune Plums, 3 Onions

2011-11-14T11:08:00.005-05:00

A Prune Plum Tart for Sunday Market

Bosc pears with prune plums make a perfect pair.

Cipolinni's, Chives and Torpedo's from Z Food Farm.

We snatched those plums from Beechwood about a month ago We pitted them and froze them in batches. I learned that prune plums are excellent for freezing since it seems to enhance the desirable (for baking) characteristics of the fruit.

Stunningly beautiful leaves of Acer p. 'Ornatum'

3 Onions With Bacon and Fresh Chevre

2011-11-12T04:43:00.002-05:00

FairFood Farmstand onions and leeks, PorcSalt bacon, Piping Goat chevre.

Seasonal, Super Local, Savory

2011-11-10T18:50:00.000-05:00

Livengood spinach and leeks, BirchRun Hills Equinox, PorcSalt bacon, Kreider cream, Shankstead Butter, Daisy Flour, D'Angelo leaf lard, Tap Root herbs

Pear, SNAP, Frangipane Tart

2011-11-08T15:26:00.001-05:00

SNAP from Art in the Age pairs with pears delectably. The ginger and spice elixir made a delicious duet with the boscs.

Open Your Eyes Look Up To The Skies and See

2011-11-08T15:08:00.002-05:00

Philly is ablaze...in a good way.

Meat and Potatoes

2011-11-07T15:04:00.005-05:00

I've been itching to test a shiny new rectangular tart mold.

So yesterday the Lil lady covered HeadHouse for me. I stayed home and put this together for a mini dinner party. Those are cipollini and rose potatoes from Z Food Farm along with creminis from Davidson's and Bucheron from the Loire Valley via DownTown Cheese in RTM.

This is a really tasty rib Steak from WholeFoods Mkt on South St. The broccoli rabe is also from WFM.

PorcSalt Peameal Bacon

2011-11-03T17:20:00.003-04:00

Today I had a bacon epiphany. The smokey scales fell from my taste buds as i sampled this pickled pork loin product. PorcSalt handed over a piece of this along with country pate last Sunday at Headhouse Mkt. I got to cooking it off today. This bacon was given a medium pan fry in a bit of butter and oil. I basted it here and there. It never made it past the cutting board.Drizzled with Spring Hills Farm maple syrup it was sweet, sweet swine.

Scary for Halloween

2011-11-01T14:30:00.003-04:00

Always in sync with the seasons WholeFoods Market had a scary Halloween deal. These bullet proof cupcakes went for a buck each. It's a great buy because they are good at least until Halloween 2012. Scary this year and scary next year too.

SuperFresh South St, never a slouch in the scary dept., had seasonal quiche available as Halloween comestibles.

Halloween Dinner (not spooky)

2011-11-01T13:49:00.002-04:00

Matt Ridgeway handed off this delicious slice of Country Pate at Sunday's HeadHouse Market. The porky tastiness was sweet and bright with super savory liver lusciousness. The texture was interesting and satisfying. This had porky chunks, mousse-ey liver and flecks of fat. This was fantastic.

This dish uses quails from Griggstown with PorcSalt bacon, Z Food Farm chard, fennel, peppers and shallots. The grits are pumped up with chevre from piping Goat Creamery..

This plate was not to my liking. Browning and braising the quail for a 1/2 hour results in a muddied flavor very different from the excellent hot n fast method employed at Farm and Fisherman and Pumpkin. The grits were fantastic.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T18:46:00.002-04:00

I so regret that I didn't have my camera when I passed an amazing lady vampire on 5th Street. She was quite a sight, just outside of Passional.

This lil uke playing lass often strums on our corner.

Here's a photo of a Halloweening clan in West Cape May.

Carmelized Onion and Chevre Tarts

2011-10-28T19:55:00.001-04:00

We grabbed a few packages of Piping Goat's Creamery Chevre last weekend. It wasn't enough to make it through the week so tarts this weekend use Piping Goat along with Bucheron. I doubt there will be complaints. These are topped off with a seared green onion from Z Food farm.

Sweet tart for Saturday Markets is Apple Frangipane. We used 'Northern Spy' apples and glazed it with Marisa Mcclellan's fantastic apricot jam / Pear Williams.

Cape May October 24

2011-10-25T12:33:00.004-04:00

Jetty at The Cove

Cape Mayans enjoying the amazing autumn afternoon.

Quite fresh swordfish slabs from The Lobster House

Lil lady and fresh florida shrimp

Camellia stems and bamboo for dinner table

Amazing veggies from Z Farm and Blooming Glen prepped for simple roasting

Romanesco, leeks, fennel and turnips

Cape May October

2011-10-24T19:05:00.002-04:00

Camellias October West Cape May

Nandina October West Cape May

Sunken Ship Cape May Point

Acer Japonicum 'Aka omote' October West Cape May

Autumn Market Offerings

2011-10-24T10:55:00.003-04:00

This is Pear Frangipane Tart. We've been using Beechwood and Frecon Farms Bartlett and Bosc pears over a frangipane made with farm eggs and Shankstead butter.I glazed this tart with amazing apricot preserves, a sweet gift from Marisa McClellan.

Here's an another old school tart. Broccoli from Lancaster, Davidson's mushrooms, Leidy's ham and Boursin from WFM.

Cauliflower and Brie Tarts with Grain Mustard and Carmelized Onion

2011-10-14T21:17:00.001-04:00

Art in the Age Root Caramels! Tasty

Root Caramels

2011-10-13T17:58:00.000-04:00

I made a batch of caramels yesterday replacing the vanilla rum infusion with a double dose of Root. These came out remarkably delicious. They don't look any different, so no pics, but the Root flavor is roodiciously nice. We have a few for markets this weekend.

West Cape May Colombus Day

2011-10-10T17:10:00.003-04:00

The Cove was packed with lil skippers riding ankle slappers. In the pic CMBP taking gear to winter storage.

Monarch Butterflies migrate by the thousands, along the beach, through Cape May.

East Goshen Market Day Pear Almond Tart, 3 Onion Tarts, Florentines

2011-10-06T22:52:00.004-04:00

Fine Philly Fixens, D'Angelo, Talluto, DiBruno, Griggstown, Claudio

2011-10-05T12:27:00.002-04:00

Poussin with kabocha ravioli and guanciale di vitello

That first taste of Sonny's guanciale di vitello captured my imagination. My first try utilizing this tasty jowl was a barely acceptable dish. This is the second try and it is a leap forward.

I purchased one jowl @D'angelo's. Chip @ Griggstown gave me a lovely poussin at market on Sunday. From Sunday's market Blooming Glen handed over chives and a fine kabocha squash. I popped into Talluto's for a pound of egg sheets with a stop at Claudio for fresh ricotta. Thanks to the kindness and generosity of a regular customer I received a hunk of parmigiano di bufala (DiBruno Bros)!

Occupy Philly Jams the House

2011-10-04T20:08:00.003-04:00

OCCUPY PHILLY

Occupy Philly

There was a Phillies playoff game for competition but still the house was jam packed for the Occupy Philly event. It took 25 minutes for folks just to get inside.

Occupy Philly Meets Tonight

2011-10-04T14:01:00.001-04:00

The Occupy Philly General Assembly meeting is tonight at 6:30pm at the Arch Street Methodist Church 55 N. Broad St.

I've been harping on the preposterous state of wealth inequality for so long...I found some friends!

Check out this change in the text from the NYT Saturday.

A Bean and BYOB Bargain at Pumpkin

2011-10-03T20:16:00.002-04:00

Pumpkin is offering this coffea arabica fueled feast next Tueday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Recent Tasty Plates

2011-10-03T11:25:00.003-04:00

This is a slice of fresh King Salmon from WholeFoods on South St. It was superb. We haven't had any thing this good from their fish dept in a long time. I crusted the salmon with grains of paradise and (over) seared it. Plated it with a lil lemon celery butter.

This simple burger packed triple goodness. Why? #1 The ground beef part is the Green Way product that is sometimes found in the 'meats' section at Super Fresh. This beef was very different from Super Fresh's regular stuff. It was far tastier in the beef elements and the fat level at 85/15 was balanced and gave a clean flavor. At $5.99/# it should be good and it was. The very best, by far, ground beef that we've had, outside of chopping our own, is from Red Haven. The flavor of their ground beef might be shocking to folks who are used to what you get at Five Guys or burgers served at most 'Gastropubs' .

#2 The red rings are a sliced torpedo onion from Z-Food Farm. Those are remarkably delicious with super crisp texture, subtle sweetness and bright and light onion flavor, worth seeking out.

#3 Isn't it tricky to get tasty American cheese? The deli deluxe product from Kraft is very satisfactory. I keep this stuff around because sometimes I want American.

Cranberry Creek Farm offers their products on Saturday at Rittenhouse Farmers Market. Their goat cheese seems to sell out every weekend. They also had pork chops a few weekends back. These were very tasty and reasonably priced. Served up here with creamed spinach and caramelized garlic.

Smoked mozz stromboli with supermarket deli meats and Brooklyn brand pizza dough. Very tasty.

Matt of PorcSalt gave me a sample confit de gesier that he potted up using duck. This is a literally wildly flavorful dish. The nuggets, eaten with a toothpick are supercharged with potent but layered gamy, organ-ny piquant and greasy tastiness.

Snap Spiked Pawpaw Clafouti Tart

2011-09-29T13:51:00.005-04:00

We've been popping over to the Passyunk and South St. Market on Tuesdays to grab ingredients for Thursday's market. This past Tuesday there were plenty of pawpaws. Coincidentally the folks at Art in the Age sent me samples of their intriguing and tasty products. I paired SNAP, their ginger snap flavored spirit, with the pawpaws. My mini sample tart is still in the oven. I'll comment on the flavor later. I did sample the SNAP soaked pawpaw pulp. The ginger/pawpaw combo is a sweet match. The pawpaw's floral, tropical notes and custardy texture get a mellow but spicy frame from the ginger and molasses infused spirits.

UPDATE. Snap and pawpaws are good friends if they limit their time together. After a few hours Snap begins to overwhelm and dominate the flavor conversation. The pawpaws that took a short dip in Snap were delicious with a good balance of contributions from both parties. The pawpaw that i soaked all day was just 20% tropical fruit notes and the rest was boozy sharp, dominant, spice and candy flavors.

Equinox Eggs Benedict

2011-09-26T16:55:00.010-04:00

Robert Todd, one of the vegetable vendors at Saturday's Rittenhouse Market, connected me with a Chester Co farm that had a surplus of just laid chicken eggs from pastured hens. I bought a bunch. Most of them are headed into canele and tarts. We decided a few should be evaluated immediately.

The hollandaise used Shankstead butter, veggies were from TapRoot and Z Food Farm, the toast is slices of WildFlour's sourdough loaf. Those amazing September tomatoes were perfectly saturated with ripe flavor.They were delivered, just picked, yesterday, from our neighbor Bobbie. The ham, came from WholeFoods market.

No BirchRun Hills Equinox cheese was used in the making of this plate.

Figs and Still a Few More Tomatoes

2011-09-22T23:52:00.000-04:00

Market Day Canele In This Month's Food & Wine Magazine

2011-09-16T12:22:00.001-04:00

Yahoo! We're honored to share a page in Food & Wine Magazine with a few other "French Dessert" producers. Merci Food & Wine.

Check out the new Market Day Canele web site. Send some canelovin to your good grub buds.

Guanciale di Vitello @ D'Angelo Bros

2011-09-16T10:49:00.001-04:00

Sonny D'Angelo gave me a hunk of this calf jowl for experimentation. I did a little research and decided to pair it with some pappardelle. The dish didn't come out so great but the guanciale was wonderful..

Fig Tart ------- West Cape May Tomato Tart With PorcSalt Bacon

2011-09-15T14:45:00.005-04:00

Pricey, organic, WholeFoods figs in this tart. Claudio ricotta spiked with candied fruits and rum. In the baking process the homemade candied fruits: ginger, orange, cherry, lemon-- impart a fruity perfume to the ricotta..

Tomato times are nearly gone. I took a basket of Duckies tomatoes yesterday while in Cape May. These Jersey tomato tarts with bacon, leeks and cremini went to market in Media today.

Tomatoes Getting Scarce

2011-09-15T09:22:00.001-04:00

I can't say no. I've got to use end of season tomatoes as often as possible. No, I'm not in denial. Tomato season is closing out.

This plate uses Z Food Farm French fingerlings and heirloom tomatoes along with a BirchRun Hills pork chop.

Peach cider grilled chicken and oyster mushrooms with Duckies of West Cape May Jersey tomatoes.

Damselflies All Over The Garden

2011-09-15T08:49:00.004-04:00

Tenth Anniversary of 9/11

2011-09-13T18:00:00.004-04:00

For me 9/11/2011 was an especially rough anniversary year. Was it the tremendous volume of media coverage or was it that 10 years is time for a deeper reflection?

At first i resented the media's relentless attention to the approach of September 11,2011. Later, I remembered that years ago I told myself 9/11 should be remembered in all its horror, injustice and brutality. I felt then that it would be wrong to forget the hideous brutality of the day. Listening to NPR radio presentations and watching the name reading online I felt that the 10th memorial anniversary was handled brilliantly. What happened should never be forgotten.

Paul Simon was genius, an absolute poet of the moment. Transforming the Star Spangled Banner for the 21st Century The Brooklyn Children's Choir were spectacular. For me, first glimpses of the black pool were breathtaking.

~~~~~~~
Ten years after September 11, 2001, we remember those who lost their lives that day, and Duke University particularly remembers our six alumni killed in the attack: Rob Lenoir, Peter Ortale, Todd Pitman,Todd Rancke, Fred Rimmele, and Michael Taylor. In Mozart's solemn Requiem, we pay tribute to the lives we have lost. But the deep lesson of 9/11 is that the power to dehumanize is best countered by our ability to recognize and respect the humanity of others. This university has the privilege of drawing together people from every part of American culture and the world, deepening their understanding, and sending them forth to be a force for good. On this day, we rededicate ourselves to advancing mutual understanding and mutual respect.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A requiem is a time to mourn the deaths of others and to contemplate our own. Our culture denies death. On 9/11 the hijackers manufactured death in unspeakable quantities. But many people that day showed us how to die, how to transcend death, and so how to dissolve its power. May our lives, and our deaths, be worthy of theirs.

Pre 9/11 Report...Professor Micheal Gillespie Remembers Peter Ortale

2011-09-07T12:36:00.003-04:00

My brother studied with Professor Gillespie at Duke. On the 10th anniversary of 9/11 Michael recalls his relationship with my brother.

In Remembrance of 9/11 Victim Peter Ortale

Professor Michael Gillespie recalls a former student who died in the Sept. 11 attacks, and explores the struggle between good and evil.

Editor's Note: Michael Allen Gillespie is the Jerry G. and Patricia Crawford Hubbard Professor of Political Science at Duke.

Durham, NC - Ten years ago, more than 3,000 people from many different countries had their lives snuffed out by an act of evil. The thousands who died in the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, in the Pentagon and aboard the four planes that were the instruments of this destruction remain, for the most part, faceless to us. On this anniversary, I would like to call back to memory one of the dead, our former student Peter Ortale.

Peter was a great deal like many Duke students. He came to Duke from a working-class, Catholic family in northeast Philadelphia to play lacrosse and get an education. He was good looking, with dark brown hair and dark eyes. He didn't care much about how he dressed, usually showing up to class in a battered sweatshirt. He was a great athlete and especially excelled at lacrosse, winning all-ACC honors and serving as captain of the team. He had an exuberant personality. He liked to party and he loved to compete. He clearly enjoyed the social life at Duke.

What distinguished Peter from almost all of the other students I have had at Duke over the last 30 years, however, was his utter dedication to learning and his complete indifference to grades. Peter always wanted to take the most difficult and challenging courses, from my graduate seminar on European nihilism to Russian. As his adviser, I often suggested that he give himself a break, but he always gave me a little quiet smile and told me he'd think about it, and we both knew that meant no. Those courses were one more mountain to climb and Peter had to measure himself against it. Even though he knew he couldn't make it to the top, he was happy with the views he got from one or another precipice on the way.

Peter Ortale

The other thing that set Peter apart was his constant efforts to impart this same enthusiasm for learning to his friends and particularly the members of his lacrosse team. He was always hauling them along to one class or another, encouraging them to join him in the serious pursuit not of good grades or a college degree but of a challenging and fruitful education. He brought several of them to my various classes and while they seldom had any preparation for the subject matter, Peter always managed to convince them they would be better for the challenge.

After Duke, Peter traveled for a while, played lacrosse on a variety of club teams in both the U.S. and abroad, and went to work on Wall Street. He was 37 and working for Euro Brokers on the 84^th floor of the South Tower on Sept. 11, 2001. After the attack, he made three phone calls: to his wife, his mother and a friend in California before heading for the stairs. He did not reach the bottom.

I remember writing a letter of recommendation for Peter in 1987. I don't remember all of the details and the letter itself is long since lost or laid aside. However, I do remember remarking that if I ever had a son, I would want him to be like Peter. My son Tom was born in the fall after Peter graduated and is actually somewhat like Peter. I don't know that a father could ask for anything more. I only hope that he becomes as good a human being as Peter and has as positive an impact on those around him.
I have often confronted the question in class whether there is a real difference between good and evil, or whether all values are not relative to particular cultures or particular historical periods. It seems to me that the events of Sept. 11^th provide us with a simple but concrete answer to this question, and that this answer is captured in the differences between Peter Ortale and those who murdered him. Peter took great joy in helping and encouraging others; Osama Bin Laden and his henchmen took great pleasure in killing them. Where decent human beings mourn and cry, they celebrate and laugh.

In killing Peter and all the others, these murderers struck a blow against humanity and against good men and women everywhere. As dramatic as this blow was, however, I cannot help but believe that the good that Peter and all the other victims of 9/11 did in life will ultimately outshine the evil of those who destroyed them.

© 2011 Office of News & Communications
615 Chapel Drive, Box 90563, Durham, NC 27708-0563
(919) 684-2823; After-hours phone (for reporters on deadline): (919) 812-6603

After Dr. Gillespies piece appeared online I received this email from a Duke Alumnus.

I knew a young man named Pete Ortale when I was a student at Duke University. I didn’t know him well, in fact, I only met him once on the quad on a sunny spring afternoon a few weeks before I graduated. I certainly knew of him for longer. He was one of those chosen young men that all the girls talked about. He was a couple of years behind me but I remember hearing about him almost from the moment he set foot on campus. He was good-looking, an athlete, and remarkably, by all accounts, a genuinely nice guy. He was the kind of guy I actively stayed away from, too much competition. Plus he was younger, I had a brother in his class, much too young for me. Still, I’d noticed him.

Peter Kevin Ortale, Duke ’87, was killed in the attack on the World Trade Center. I found out this news a week after the attack when I finally got the courage to check the Duke Alumni website. I didn’t want to know anyone. I didn’t want to check that list but I had to. Deep breathe and down the list until my heart stopped. I later read the Portrait of Grief in the New York Times. After the first plane hit he called his mother and his wife from his office on the 80th floor of the second tower to report that he was OK.

I haven’t seen Pete since I graduated from Duke. I’m not sure I ever mentioned him to other friends and family. He might even be surprised that I remember him, but I do. It was a beautiful day. I was standing with a group of guys discussing baseball. For people who know me this fact would not be surprising. Standing on the quad talking baseball, my kind of afternoon and then Pete Ortale walks up. Ohmigod, Pete Ortale. I know why the girls talk about you. Lisa, do you know Pete? No, hi. And then he smiled at me. It was one of those smiles, the kind you remember. It was a springtime smile. I see something in you and I know that at this moment you see something in me. Are you going to be at that party tonight? Maybe. For me, maybe meant no. I was going to graduate in a few weeks, and he was Pete Ortale, the kind of guy I avoided. I was flattered, it was an ego boost, and it was enough. It was a memory to tuck away and pull out when I was feeling low. Something to keep in my heart to remind myself that I was once young.

Some people we love because they are family. Some people we love because we can’t imagine our lives without them. Some people we love because their happiness rubs off on us and makes us happy too. Some people we love because of one moment. And I will grieve for you, Peter Keith Ortale, because of one moment, a long time ago when, on a beautiful, sunny, April afternoon, you smiled at me.

Cheese Steaks The Best is Better Than Ever

2011-09-06T18:01:00.003-04:00

Pre-chewed cheese steaks, in my view, are not at the top of the list on the cheese steak mastery chart. Jim's Steaks goes beyond pre-chewing by precooking and then hacking the the beef to shreds. Pats and Geno's does enough precooking that the 'beef' is like vulcanized tissue paper. Last time at Dalessandro's I got the impression that, to them, cheese steak virtuosity involves bludgeoning 'beef' and making a racket with spatulas. It doesn't at all.

I was once in line at Sonny's and the guy in front of me ordered 'extra chopped'. He said it as if it was a straight up Philly thing to order. IT IS NOT. It's worse than asking for Swiss.

If you enjoy the texture and flavor of good quality, sliced beef and prefer grub that is cooked to order. If you want to have a basis for saying that you know what an excellent cheese steak tastes like then get thee to Steve's.

Businesses That Botch...Liberty Gas Car Wash 1600 South Columbus

2011-09-06T17:40:00.003-04:00

This place has been sucking for years. The card reader never fails to say "SEE ATTENDANT." Who wants to wait in line for the attendant, in the rain, with other folks waiting to get $5 of gas? OK, that alone sucks. Over that mess, heap on pricing that is about 25 cents a gal over other spots, and you've got incompetence and possibly electronic manipulation coupled with narrow greed. It's the worst.

Happy Labor Day ......Lunch

2011-09-05T17:24:00.003-04:00

We stuck around town for the holiday.

Poached eggs with seared beef and veal, shishito peppers and garlic, heirloom tomatoes. Tasty with Metro Cracked Wheat.

Lil lady made this goat milk and honey, basil ice cream. I minced some candied cherry for the topping.

Happy Labor Day

2011-09-05T12:06:00.001-04:00

My son sent this pic today. He's WWOOFing in Bordeaux.

Two Men of Avignon.

Roasted Peppers, Guanciale, Corn, Basil Savory Tart --- Ricotta Vanilla Nectarine Sweet Tart

2011-08-28T13:18:00.002-04:00

On Thursday we brought roasted pepper, leek, basil and guanciale tart to Media farmers Market.

The sweet tart used Claudio's ricotta with FairFood Farmstand on-sale nectarines.

Hurricane Supper

2011-08-28T12:29:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I was at Rittenhouse Market while Lil Lady was at BrynMawr. I wasn't convinced that we had enough grub in the event Irene got irate. I texted her "grab a chicken" and she came home with an impressive heritage breed chicken form Canter Hill Farm. Check out their "poultry" page for good information about their practices and products.

Super tasty plate here: Taproot lettuce, Z-Food Farm organic cipollini's and tomatoes, boned-out heritage chicken with chanterelles and cream.

We used a Good Spoon Senegalese Peanut and Chicken Stew as a first course. We've tried a few soups from Kate Hartman including the delicious, shimmering asparagus soup she brought to the RTM Buy Local event. We used her cantaloupe soup to make cocktails during the scorching summer days. All of them were carefully composed, freshly executed and deftly balanced . There's a slice of shishito threaded through a slice of tomato as a garnish.

The Tarticle----Philadelphia Style Magazine

2011-08-26T17:56:00.005-04:00

Thanks to Philly Style Magazine and Adam Erace for the savory tarticle.

Andy Kahl made the excellent photographs. Thanks Andy.

No HeadHouse Market This Weekend

2011-08-26T17:50:00.001-04:00

All you HeadHouse Market Day fans....come to Rittenhouse tomorrow and grab fine hurricane grub. I've got crispy cucarachas, crackly florentines, salty caramels, vanilla nectarine ricotta tarts and tomato, chanterelle and ham savory tarts.

Andouille Stuffed Chicken, Grits w Chevre, Heirloom Tomatoes

2011-08-24T15:18:00.002-04:00

The pic is sloppy but the plate was tasty. This was a Griggstown chicken (thanks Chip) that Lil lady boned out. I stuffed the leg with sausage from D'Angelo (superb quality), the grits got a dose of roasted poblanos (Three Springs) and a dollop of Linden Dale chevre and tomatoes from Weaver's Way.

Florentine Fixens

2011-08-23T14:20:00.000-04:00

Candied Fruits: cherries, ginger, orange, lemon

Tedious task candy-ing cherries

Stonefruit

2011-08-22T12:38:00.011-04:00

Tom Culton's plums at Headhouse yesterday.

Herrcastle Berries, BirchRun Hills Equinox

2011-08-20T16:15:00.004-04:00

Lil lady came from Media Market with a flat o' berries on Thursday. The blackberries and raspberries came from Herrcastle Farm in Holtwood PA. Both berries were tangy, with a juicy delicate texture. The razzies, far more full of Summer than both the organic and conventional Cali Driscolls we've used lately.

This savory tart is made with corn, tomatoes and peppers, all from Reading Terminal Market along with PorcSalt bacon, BirchRun Hills Equinox and Linden Dale chevre. The use of contrasting cheeses upped the delicious complexity in this peak of Summer assemblage.

Ham, Leeks, Roasted Peppers, Beets ... Market Tart

2011-08-18T18:18:00.002-04:00

Post From the Coast II

2011-08-16T20:14:00.006-04:00

Peak of the Summer Produce from West cape May Farmers Market

The softies more than fulfilled expectations.

Delectable selection of heirloom tomatoes from No Frills Farm at West Cape May Tuesday Farmers Market

Hula @ Market

This plate deceptively basic but way delicious eg.. purple potatoes from No Frills Farm with sour cream and chives... elemental yet commanding your undivided attention with earthy perfection. The grilled chicken is a $2.00 a pound basic bird from West Side Market with backyard rosemary and parsley, Duckie's garlic and Grey Poupon. The grilled veggies are a selection of items from the farmers market.

Post From the Cape May Coast

2011-08-16T13:01:00.016-04:00

When it comes to striper fishing I am a proponent of the match-the-hatch philosophy. Still my favorite bait for surf fishing is fresh squid. My experience striper fishing in Cape May is that you don't see fresh squid at market very much during the season. I'm not saying it's a conspiracy to encourage visitors to buy pricier baits but...

It is not currently striper season in CM. There was a bounty of sweetly fresh squid at the Lobster House last night. The lovely veggies all came from Duckie's Market. We used a chiffonade of basil and a few crispily grilled rashers of pancetta from Nick Macri (SouthWark) on that plate.

Well Fed August Spiders

Absolute beauties from the Lobster House: soft, lively and large, with all their appendages, $4.50

Lagerstroemia (indica x fauriei) 'Natchez' sheds bark in August

Getting Chinese 1911

2011-08-12T11:35:00.002-04:00

East Goshen Market Tarts

2011-08-11T12:50:00.001-04:00

I could not make a decision about the sweet tart yesterday...WFM forced my hand with these organic Cali beauties! Valhrona on the bottom, vanilla pastry cream in the middle.

Sonny's pancetta in these along with our neighbor Shari's basil and our other neighbor Bobbie's tomatoes. Leeks from Weaver's Way.

The Farm and the Fisherman

2011-08-10T10:37:00.008-04:00

Arriving at FFM maybe 10 mins. late for our reservation we opened the door on a full dining room. Not an open table in sight. We stood at the door until the hostess relieved us of our burgundy and suggested we come back in about 10. We walked back home. There we polished off the Cava that had made us 10 mins late. When we got back things inside the restaurant were far calmer. We accepted sweet seats at the front window.

'Parker House' bun. A tasty touch! At times WildFlour makes an excellent version of these.

This is the 'porridge' with peach, tomato and salami. This inspired combo presents delightful flavor dynamics among the sweet, funky cured salami notes and the fresh and fruity, low acid tomato and peach elements. Brilliant!

Cape May scallops with corn and chanterelles. We cook up loads of CM scallops in our crib. I like em just fine but they're not reliably superb. These were fine but not glistening gems. They were also a bit on the cooked side. The corn kernels and the scallops in this preparation were not as complimentary as I had hoped . . Lil lady thought these were delish.

This is the delicious stuffed quail. Just as tasty as the expertly grilled version I devoured at Pumpkin not too long ago. Pumpkin's had more of an a la minute bite to it. Still not feeling the corn kernel action. Shola's quail concept seems solid.

The poached farm egg. Well there was exactitude in this dish. The egg couldn't have been more perfectly gelatinous. The veggies held in the broth just so. I think this dish is hatching in too many restaurants.

Pork loin and jowl. Clearly a deft touch at play yet I wasn't captivated. The jowl was straight up flaccid fat while the loin was tastily cured but plainly framed. My least favorite.

The Bloody Beet was bloody spectacular. Earthy, interestingly sweet and tart, with unexpected textural sensations. World class.

The lamb ribs with sumac were sensational. A remarkably delicious and felicitous combination. These were crispy, fatty, spiced with inspiration and precision and expertly roasted. A flavor epiphany.

At FFM the cooking is excellent. The hospitality is just fine. The Farm and Fisherman is a must visit for precise cooking with prime local ingredients.

Barbacoa, Los Taquitos de Puebla

2011-08-09T20:14:00.005-04:00

We caught the delicious article that Brian Shreffler penned for the City Paper and were compelled to give barbacoa a go from Los Taquitos. Gracias Brian! Los Taquitos' barbacoa was astoundingly delicious. Los Taquitos is a solid spot. 1149 S 9th. is a must visit destination for Mexican grub in Philly.

Santucci Lands on Christian St!

2011-08-09T13:46:00.003-04:00

I ate my first slices of Santucci's in Juniata Park, with my Uncle Len, listening to a transistor radio broadcasting Sandy Koufax's pummeling of the Phils (1964?). When my family moved to Frankford, a few miles from Santucci's, we stuck with Santucci although Leandro's on Frankford Ave. was a delicious alternative. Later when I visited my folks and there wasn't any grub in the fridge my dad would be on the phone and then in the Gremlin (AMC) to grab a couple of pies @ O St. Until very recently the lil lady and I would trek to O St when we got the craving. We were shocked when we discovered O St location shuttered. We were thrilled when the Christian St spot was finally open for biz.

So far we've done Santucci on Christian 3x. The first order was chicken wings and pizza. The wings were fresh and nicely cooked, very satisfactory but not distinctive or addictive in a wingy way. The wings themselves were of fine quality. The pizza was real good. It was about 90% identical to the O St version. The difference being in the moistness level of the crust. It was far better than any pies I've had in town.

On the second visit we had sandwiches. Their menu is ambitious in the other-than-pizza offerings. We sampled porchetta, burger and chicken cutlet and fries. All of these had issues. George, Paesano and Sarcone will prove tough to out-sandwich.

The third try was 2 different pizzas and a cheesesteak. The pies were delicious and perhaps 100% the equal of the original. Was there a bit of clangy herbiness in the T sauce? The cheesesteak was tasty and of high quality but not in the range of steak shop virtuosity ala Steve's Prince of Steaks.

All of the food we sampled was clearly fresh and of high quality. Did they maybe start off with too many offerings...could be, but maybe they'll iron out these bumps.

Black and BlueBerry Tarts with Lemon Verbena Pastry Cream

2011-08-08T17:15:00.000-04:00

At RTM last Friday Iovine had prime local blackberries at a tasty price.

Tomatoes

2011-08-08T13:43:00.001-04:00

Heirloom tomato, corn custard, basil, chevre tart.

Amazing bounty of late but tasty tomatoes this summer.

Z Food Farm Shishito Peppers From Rittenhouse Farmers Market

2011-08-08T13:08:00.001-04:00

Seared peppers w heirloom garlic, Fleur de Sel, Linden Dale Chevre, Wild Flour Baguette

Managing Risks of Supply Chain Disruption....Leaf Lard

2011-08-03T11:48:00.002-04:00

Isn't it tricky locating leaf lard around town? I get mine from Sonny D'angelo. Every so often his shop will run out or close early and I'll be forced to make butter only pastry shells. This supply chain disruption puts me on edge. Synchronicity to the rescue....across the aisle from Market Day Canele at Headhouse Market is Patches of Star. Patches of Star sells fantastic goat cheese and they are deservedly revered for their products. The synchronous part is that Nolan Theveret helps out at PoS on Sunday. Nolan owns Stryker Farm. At Stryker Nolan raises barley fed, pastured heirloom pigs. A few weeks ago Nolan and I chatted about lard, pork and other delicious stuff. This past Sunday he showed up with a cryo'd pack of 2- 2.5 lb. sheets of unrendered leaf lard. Those are in the pot as I post!

Anyone who's fascinated/obsessed with no-holds-barred deliciousness should be informed of the taste punch that great quality lard imparts. Beyond the flavor bonus: "it’s not bad for you. It has less saturated fat (the bad fat) than butter, while it also has more than twice as much monosaturated fat (the good fat) than butter. And it has none of those pesky trans fats—that is, if it hasn’t been hydrogenated to prolong its shelf life."

Summer Cooking Crab and Melon, Pork and Tomatoes

2011-08-02T14:04:00.002-04:00

The crab and melon dish used a petite heirloom melon from Ben Wenk, Three Springs, that was delicious. The "softshells" came from John Yi in RTM. The one i ate almost gave me a punk style pierced cheek! But it was super fresh and lively.

The main plate used BirchRun Hills spectacular pork chops along with some 'Red Rain' Mustard greens from TapRoot Farm. The tomato tart was a beauty! It used Z-Farm tomatoes and cipollini and Kings Farm basil with Linden Dale Chevre. I thought this was a festive summery plate. I had intended to grill the chops but it was too dark.

Weekend Tarts: Guanciale,Corn Custard, Chorizo, Heirloom Tomatoes, Peaches, Blueberries!

2011-07-30T16:21:00.007-04:00

We offered this tart on Saturday. It was made with Corn Custard (AT Buzby), TapRoot heirloom tomatoes,fresh marjoram, chorizo from the Los Amigos Carniceria on 9th St and "extra sharp" PA cheddar from Fair Food FarmStand. Not an especially French combo but all local, fresh, prime stuff.

Saturday's sweet tart used both Halteman and Frecon peaches. It's a carmelized peach tart. I pretty much took this straight from Boulud.

Sunday we used the corn custard again. This time though I had tasty guanciale from PorcSalt. So the combo was corn custard with Z-Farm Heirloom tomatoes and basil, guanciale and chevre. A felicitous summer arrangement. Right?

The sweet tart for Sunday was Frecon blueberries with honey mint pastry cream

Whisky and Canele

2011-07-29T15:16:00.004-04:00

For whisky noses who like a French accent with their single malt, Auchentoshan has launched the limited edition Auchentoshan 1999 Bordeaux Cask Matured (£46.99, 70cl, leading whisky specialists or visit www.auchentoshan.com). Aged exclusively in French oak, this triple distilled malt with sweet, candied fruit flavours and an oakey character make it a perfect match with another Bordeaux beauty, canele pastry. The custard filling and caramelised crust is nicely balanced by the spicy tingle on the lingering finish.

Hot Tart Cool Tart

2011-07-21T18:13:00.001-04:00

RTM's FairFood Farm Stand supplied very tasty golden beets that we matched with PorcSalt bacon and BirchRun Hills Blue for the savory tart.

FairFood also supplied both sweet and tart plums for the sweet tart. We matched those with refreshing ginger pastry cream.

Heat of Summer Market Ingredients

2011-07-19T18:50:00.001-04:00

Here's a basket of sensational veggies from a few of the HeadHouse Vendors. There is cauliflower and currant tomatoes from Culton, torpedo onions, fresh shallots, chives and purple basil from Blooming Glen, super tasty heirloom tomatoes from AT Buzby, eggplants and beets from Weaver's Way..

I baked off some tarts using these goodies for a photo shoot about savory tarts. The slices look a little sketchy but the actual tarts were handsome and tasty

. #1 Cauliflower and cherry tomatoes with chevre, guanciale and mustard. #2: 3-onion tart with currant tomatoes and BirchRun Hills Eclipse. This tart used the fresh cipollini's from Z Food Farm, fantastic. #3: Heirloom tomatoes with grilled eggplant, claudio ricotta, purple basil and PorcSalt pancetta. #4: Beets and sorrel with BirchRun Hills Blue, PorcSalt bacon and herbs.

Fresh Organic Cipollini

2011-07-17T16:57:00.000-04:00

Yesterday at Rittenhouse Market Z Food Farm offered crispy fresh, certified organic cipollini. These were choice.

Beechwood Farms Apricots, Claudio Ricotta & Valhrona Guanaja

2011-07-15T18:44:00.001-04:00

I ordered a supply of Valhrona just before this recent hot spell. I wanted to use it in the florentines along with some home made candied cherries. I was also contemplating bringing iced hot chocolate with those same cherries (as a garnish) as a market offering. But florentines are no friend of the heat and humidity and I'm still processing the beverage idea. So... here it is, a glaze of chocolate beneath vanilla flavored ricotta, ripe apricots and toasted almonds.

HeadHouse Market Fixens

2011-07-14T20:51:00.001-04:00

Culton and Blooming Glen salad elements, Talula's salmon, Savoie onaway taters, wish they were Taproot eggs

A.T.Buzby, Sicilian eggplant