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Archive: June, 2009
Joseph Cesa recently closed his Joe Coffee Bar at 11th and Walnut, but he'll be back in action before you know it: In about two weeks' time, Ian Moroney and Hillary Bor's Pumpkin Market will begin offering coffee roasted by Cesa right on the premises. Right now, they're working on setting up Cesa's roaster, as well as seating for about eight, in the finished basement of the Market (1610 South St., 215-545-3924). The plan is to use the space for both gatherings and coffee roasting seminars in the future. This also means that you'll soon be able to enjoy espresso drinks at across-the-way Pumpkin Caf� (1609 South St., 215-545-1173). Since space is tight, only traditional coffee will be offered in the actual Market.
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| Unbreaded |
| Hail sausage, full of Grace. |
Every Wednesday, we poke around the food blog world to see what's simmering.
- The ever-hungry bloggers of Unbreaded can't get enough of the boudin blanc sausage sandwich and blackened green beans at Grace Tavern. Source the same quality forcemeats as Grace with a trip to� Martin's Quality Meats & Sausage in the Reading Terminal Market, who supply the tavern with boudins and chicken-and-feta sausages.
- Living On The Vedge immerses herself in nutrients with the whole wheat, vegan almond cheese, spinach, basil and veggie sausage pie at Home Slice, and is as generous with her praise as Home Slice is with their basil.
- Michael Klein, se�or Insider, reveals a meaty Father's Day deal. Click over for the two Center City restaurants that are giving your dad a free steak on his big Hallmark holiday.
- Newly facial hair-free Two Guys on Beer explore the tangled web of shared ownership and contract brewing between sushi staples Sapporo and Kirin Ichiban. No matter how cool the can, it's all just light lager in the end.
- Foobooz is down with the new Sunday burger nights at Bistro 7. Bistro 7, you had us at Amish cheddar; you ravished us with duckfat fries.
All I can think of is the scene from Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay, haha.
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| flickr.com/cjmemay |
I was overwhelmed by the amount of quality responses to the simple question I posed yesterday afternoon: What should I make using ground turkey? Y'all commenters are the best.
Of course, right after work, I ended up eating three courses out at a restaurant, because I am stupid and possess little to no willpower/sensible meal-planning skills.
Ground turkey will definitely go down tonight, mark my words. I'll report on what I made on Thursday, but in the meantime, you really need to check out Meal Ticket commenter cjmemay's Flickr gallery of his Sloppy Gobbler dinner � that's ground turkey sloppy joe and bleu cheese/sour cream ON TOP OF PANCAKES. Glory, glory.
You can literally watch this idea germinate in yesterday's comments section.
[...] case you were wondering what I ended up doing with the ground turkey I wrote about on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week â though I claimed back then that I wasn’t feeling it, I ended up making [...]
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| Photo l Felicia D'Ambrosio |
| Pretty corny |
Really, there are dozens of things you can do with the infinitely variable preparation of corn salad. Just grill the ears in their husks for a few minutes (to keep things crispy) and then shuck under cold running water. Stand the ears up vertically in a mixing bowl, and slice off the kernels with a sharp knife using a smooth downward motion. If you ever had braces and corn on the cob was verboten, you remember this action.� Once the kernels are off the cobs, mix in whatever is living in the fridge and suits your fancy. Chop everything into a quarter-inch dice for ease of eating with a big 'ol spoon. Examples:
- Roasted or raw red peppers, red onions and basil; toss with a sprinkle of red wine vinaigrette
- Raw fennel and fennel tops, grilled red and Vidalia onions, mint and a few radishes; juice of one grapefruit (pictured above)
- Diced jalapenos or serranos for heat, cilantro, tomato and Mexican tarragon
- Asparagus rounds, sweet peas, arugula, more radishes, flat-leaf parsley and the juice of two oranges
And so on and so forth! The crew at Greensgrow Farm in Kenzo makes a soon-to-be-famous corn salad that features some lovely local dried blueberries; you can incorporate anything you want. Then it's time to work that corn salad into a plethora of warm-weather dishes.
- Bury a veggie or carnivore fajita or taco in the cool salad
- Heap the warm salad on grilled or broiled fish
- Fortify a pile of mixed greens � arugula, butter lettuces, frise�, spinach � with your mix
- Saut� the corn mixture and make a quiche or frittata for breakfast
- Pump up a cornbread or corn muffin mix with the real stuff
With fresh, local ears so cheap � $2 for six just yesterday at Acme � you must scoop up this quintessential summer taste.
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| Photo l Felicia D'Ambrosio |
This fish came dressed in a heap of saut�ed spinach and crispy artichoke hearts, and was so good we left nothing behind but a Garfield-style cartoon skeleton.
Wee hint: Not a BYOB; not new.
Fork
Okay: It's in Old City, and just got a new and super well-regarded chef.
Went from too hard to too easy! Yes, Atrios, you are correct. Terence Feury is tearing it up at Fork, from the smoked beef tongue and duck prosciutto on the charcuterie plate, to the fabulously oily cheeks in my whole fluke. This restaurant is Feury-ous!
That really is more of a Heathcliff style fish skeleton.
cjmemay, You're absolutely correct. I could never keep my cartoon cats straight.
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We here at Meal Ticket super-heart chef Peter McAndrews' sandwich shop Paesano's (152 W. Girard Ave., 267-886-9446) � especially for their roast pork. From my Jan. 22 review:
The most stellar member of Paesano's five-sandwich menu selection is also its most traditional � the Arista, thin-shaved slices of unfairly tender house-roasted suckling pig cuddling up to broccoli rabe and long hots on yet another jus-soaked long roll. There's a small but vocal contingent of Philly eaters that likes to champion roast pork as a purist's alternative to the overexposed cheesesteak � the problem is that there are about three people in the city who do it well. Time to make that four: Paesano's rendition is simply � easily � one of the best.
Now comes the life-altering word that the shop will be staying open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights to sate the whiskey-soaked masses. The new hours will start this coming Friday, June 12. Paesano's, we love your pig face.
(h/t The Illadelph via Foobooz)
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| infobarrel.com |
I'm kinda trying to eat healthier lately, so the other day, I purchased a pound package of ground turkey at the market in place of my usual fatty ground beef coppage. It's been defrosting in my fridge since this morning, as I plan on cooking it up for dinner tonight. The problem is I'm feeling uninspired as far as recipes and preparations go. (I really don't want to make turkey burgers.) Any Meal Ticketers out there have good suggestions for easy, healthy, tasty recipes that use ground turkey? Link me in the comments, please!
I've used this recipe before and the addition of mayo in the burger is clutch. Enjoy! http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=350695
I'd suggest making an Italian-style meat sauce, with some crushed tomatoes and fresh veg, or if you're feeling extra ambitious you could make stuffed cabbage.
Turkey tacos rock. Seems to absorb the taco flavor even better than beef, IMO.
You could try a turkey ragu though I don't see it beating a lamb ragu; would think it tough for the less intense flavors to come through amidst all the spices and wine in the tomato sauce, but it would be interesting to see how it turns out(maybe the recipe is floating around for a good reason). Turkey meat loaf was my 2nd thought.
I make these awesome mozzarella-stuffed meatballs with ground turkey. Sorry for the approx measurements, a la Rachael Ray. In a bowl, mix pound of ground turkey with... 1 egg 1 handful parm cheese 1 handful chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 handful chopped basil leaves 1 tbsp. grated lemon zest 1 chopped garlic clove (or 2 if you like it garlicky) 2 dashes Worcestershire Splash balsamic vinegar Splash olive oil Salt and Pepper to taste Chili flakes to taste Mix by hand, form into tangerine-sized balls. Make a deep impression with your thumb into each ball, and tuck a cube of mozzarella (smoked is nice) into the center. Pinch ends closed and roll in hands to reform meatball shape. In a hot pan with olive oil, sear meatballs on each side till caramelized (2-3 minutes per side), add tomato sauce and simmer till meatballs are firm to the touch, approx 20 minutes. Serve with or without pasta, garnished with chopped basil and parsley.
i agree with danya -- turkey tacos are pretty delicious (although i don't know if dumping a package of ortega into a pan of cooked ground turkey counts as a "recipe"). i like mine with avocado, heirloom tomatoes and queso fresco (not that that's healthy).
simple, easy, no idea on the health quality, but it works: stuff a turkey burger with a slice of feta (keeps it from drying out like turkey burgers often can). coat the burger with salt, pepper, cumin (mostly cumin in the spice blend), and some paprika. cook. put in a pita. cucumbers make it refreshing. tomato jam (the NY Times had a recipe) adds a tasty sweetness.
I recommend Sloppy Gobblers (that's my horrible name for Turkey Sloppy Joes). I usually just make it to taste with bell peppers, onions, garlic, honey (and/or brown sugar), worcestershire sauce, canned tomatoes, and a little tomato sauce. Oh man, that made me really hungry. Last week, I made some freaking great Turkey Tacos, but for the life of me I can't remember what I did.
I'm going to Reading Terminal and picking up turkey meat, Gorgonzola, and some buns from Metropolitan Bakery, and eating this whether you are or not.
Make turkey burgers with spinach and feta in the patties and season with something like Worcestershire or maybe soy sauce. I've made this a bunch of different ways because it's so easy to experiment with.
On top of pancakes!!!! Okay, I'm done. I think.
Turkey Gobblers sounds so obscene, but I second the suggestion of turkey sloppy joes. I add chipotle peppers or powder to it usually.
Kibby, Pure genius!!! I have chipotle pepper flakes at home, and that's what made the greatest Turkey Tacos. So glad you suggested that. This is going to be a great meal. I am really excited about dinner now.
I know you have a copy of Almost Meatless in that office. P. 38 (Sloppy Joes) P. 41 (Turkey-Pinto Pie) P. 43 (Turkey Lasagna) Recipes where you can easily sub turkey for beef or pork: P. 80 (Pot stickers) P. 85 (Chili) P. 99 (Spinach and Chickpea Pouches) P. 112 (Albondigas) Happy Cooking.
I'm making Adam's cheese-stuffed turkey meatballs. Damn, this is a hungry post.
Wow, thanks for all these great suggestions! Will report back tomorrow on what I decide to do. I'm thinking Sloppy Gobblers is a frontrunner...
Well, here are some pics from the Sloppy Gobbler. I topped one with crumbled Buttermilk Blue Cheese from Salumeria, and the other with Sour Cream. http://www.flickr.com/photos/cjmemay/sets/72157619526874358/
[...] May fluke?• Paesano's to drunk people: We are the most benevolent sandwich shop in the world• Who's got a good ground turkey recipe?• Eat This Immediately: Franzone's Pizza• This Sunday: Meet Next Food Network Star's [...]
[...] case you were wondering what I ended up doing with the ground turkey I wrote about on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week â though I claimed back then that I wasn’t feeling it, I ended [...]
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| Photo | Drew Lazor |
Not sure why it's taken this long for me to profess my love for what could very well be the best pizza in the region: I'm talking about Franzone's of Bridgeport, just outside of King of Prussia.
A droopy-eyed little town with sizable Eastern European and Latino populations, Bridgeport might not strike you as Pizza Central � but take my word that Fran's is worth the 25-minute trek. (There's also a location at 1940 Main Avenue in Conshohocken.) I was introduced to the place by the girl, who was raised on the stuff (her dad's a Bridgeport native). This means we make the glorious drive out there on the reg.
As you can see on the sign, Franzone's makes sandwiches like steaks and zeps � but pizza should be your primary concern. They offer all the expected toppings, but for first-timers, I'd recommend ordering a plain to get the full effect. The crust, which can vary in thickness due to the whim of whichever friendly cargo-shorted dude is tossing the dough that day, is always blistered to cracker-like crispness, with an intermittent smattering of browned-top bubbles. (More corny eloquent food writers would probably refer to such hand-wrought inconsistency as "artisanal.") The cheese is a winning mix of mozz and cheddar. But Franzone's signature sauce, masterfully applied in a bull's eye pattern as a sort of directive for where you should aim your stomach, is the most stratifying aspect of this pie � it's unapologetically sweet, a trait that turns a lot of pizza heads off. I don't necessarily seek such sauces out, but here I think it works quite well against the saltiness of the cheese.
Eat this immediately.
Hardcore pizza pornography after the jump.
Franzone's Pizzeria, Fifth and Dekalb streets, Bridgeport, 610-275-0114, kingofprussia.com/franzones
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| Photos | Drew Lazor |
damn, i miss me some franzone's. my girlfriend's from b'port and it is home to many, many italians (as well as the aforementioned latinos and eastern europeans). have you ever been to the italian festa? its a scene.
me: I haven't, but I gotta make it out. What time of year do they hold it?
Blasphemy! Everyone knows that Tacconelli's in Port Richmond is the area's crown jewel.
drew: its usually the second wknd in july. this year: july 10-12. porchetta, pizza fritta(fried dough), meatballs, trippa, sofrito - all great reasons to make the trip. likewise the people watching in the "beer garden".
Worst.Pizza.Ever.
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Little preview from Lauren Fleming's latest What's Cooking column: This coming Sunday, June 14, at 9 p.m., drop by frequent Meal Ticket haunt The Sidecar to meet Katie Cavuto, the Philly girl who's doing us proud on the latest season of Next Food Network Star. (The first episode �� source of the photo above � just aired this Sunday.)
The fifth season of the Next Food Net�work Star is underway, and if one of the contestants looks familiar, it�s because Phila�delphia�s got a representative: Katie Cav�uto, a native and owner of Healthy Bites (a business that brings nutritional meals right to your door), is celebrating her appearance on the show with a little party at the Sidecar. Guests will get a chance to meet Cavuto, watch the second episode, swig some brews and root for our girl. Sidecar Bar & Grille, 2201 Christian St., 215-732-3429, thesidecarbar.com.
Cavuto was recently featured in Lauren F. Friedman's piece on Philly Kitchen Share.
Philadelphia Weekly restaurant critic and Blogalicious blogger Adam Erace and brother Andrew announced today that they are entering the grocery game this September, when they debut Green Aisle Grocery on the 1600 block of East Passyunk Avenue.
Adam and Andrew are both serious eaters, and their broad range of edible interests will be reflected in Green Aisle's stock. Think local and organic produce, free-range eggs, coffee, cheese, honey, pasta, loose-leaf tea and other tasties. Customers will be able to pick up a single lemon to supplement cocktail hour or a luxe Spanish olive oil to gild the dinner lily.
Prepared foods from the experts will make appearances, too; the Erace boys have already worked out a deal with James chef/owner Jim Burke to carry his intense mostardas and toothsome pasta.
Passyunk Avenue sure is a-changin' � we've got designer sushi at Izumi, our own Capogiro scoop shop and yet more access to local produce and craft food when Green Aisle opens. If we keep on behaving and stimulating the economy down here, can we get our street cleaning back?
[...] Philadelphia. He also runs a personal blog, and is teaming up with his brother, Andrew, to open Green Aisle Grocery on East Passyunk Avenue next month. Slow down, [...]
Good luck hope to come and purchase a few articles sounds great
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