MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!



The 2011 Il Moya Tree

 Oh, for sure, we:  "Need a Little Christmas"

It's Christmas, go ahead and be that child that hides inside all of the rest of the year!

Remember:  you can't cure all of the world's problems - try to at least make a dent in one - be charitable, give of your time, yourself, and your money if you can.  And, if you are still shopping - do it at an independently owned small business, please!!!

Sing Carols, get misty - eyed at the little ones wonder at it all, and INDULGE!!  It's the Holidays and it's a long winter.

Be kind to one another - there can be a bit of stress popping up now and then!

Let's all bring out the best we can be.

And - you Foodies - I know that you are shopping and cooking and creating and planning - and enjoying every minute of it!  Good for you/us!!

See you in 2011. 

Surviving and Thriving during the Holidays with a Cocktail and the Easy and Fabulous Gypsy Stew!

The Last of our Potato Crop!

Sharing this picture totally out of pride that we got away with harvesting just a few more delicious potatoes on December 8th!!  That's it now, though. 

OK, on to other things. . .

One of the "rules" we've learned over the past few years - at this time of the season when you feel the stress piling up - is STOP!  Catch your breath and ask yourself why you aren't appreciating this "most wonderful time of the year".  Be honest in figuring out why you are stressed and crazed.  There are many, many reasons that you find the holidays the most stressful time of the year - many of these reasons can't be addressed here (valid though they be) - so let's concentrate on the, "things we can change".  Like for instance,  is your stress level up because you have to find the "perfect" gifts for your nearest and dearest?  If so, read on . . .!

First Rule:  political and economic issues aside for just a moment, anything you buy in a big box cheap import store or even a chain department store  - the giftee can buy themselves!!!  If you are really looking to WOW someone, find some original, one of a kind gifts:  So, that means, shop at your locally owned, independent stores.  OR, if you are thinking of something more personal, make something - there are so many wonderful foodie gifts that would get used, and would be appreciated, and would show that you actually took the time to make something wonderful for someone - especially, if in fact, the recipient is a Foodie.  Think about the gifts that have WOWED you in your adult life.  They were probably unexpected, unique and definitely NOT something you would buy yourself.  Sieze that rule!!!  And maybe they weren't even the most EXPENSIVE gifts you ever received either.  Definitely sieze that rule! 

Think about Nut Butters - they are delicious, they keep in the refrigerator for ages and they are great for Midnight Snackers (I've heard!).  For bakers, nothing beats a lovely bottle of real Vanilla Extract (put really good split vanilla beans in a pretty bottle, fill with good vodka, let it steep).  And for all of us who cook, Vinegars are always welcome - and also keep well.  I like to do Red Wine Vinegars (keep using up the last few sips of that bottle of good red from last evening by adding it to your developing vinegar - as the French do).  To the Vinegar you can add garlic for a bit, herbs, hot peppers, . . .use your imagination.  Lastly, a good Cordial is always welcome after dinner on a cold night - or at any other time of day, frankly.  Cranberry Vodka cordial is gorgeous and delicious and "just right" for the Holidays.  The possibilities are endless.

And of course, as you plan your gift giving, find a program, not for profit organization, shelter, any service setting -  in your community - and put a little aside to share with those organizations.  Maybe someone you know would love to see a donation made in their name? Times are tough for the programs that regularly do the "hard stuff". 

For us, it's pretty much always animal protection organizations and food programs, but pick what means the most to you and give, for yourself and for others - these will be gifts you will truly give to yourself.

Now, onto recent recipes that have proven to be fabulous, warming and most importantly, easy.

Cocktails are an important part of life in our home - a nice cocktail at the end of a challenging day is a wonderful treat, but nobody likes the "same old/same old".  Here's one we found while going through a pile of years of clipped recipes.  Seeing that we needed to do research, we made a couple of these little glasses of happiness immediately!

POMEGRANATE MANHATTAN (From the late, great Gourmet Magazine, June 2005)

For two small cocktails:                                                                          

3 oz Bourbon
3 oz pure pomegranate juice (we use POM)
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
4 dashes Angostura Bitters

Fill a shaker halfway with ice, add all ingredients and shake well - you want to dissolve that sugar!
Strain into cocktail glasses with a maraschino cherry.  Enjoy!

Now this next recipe will have you and everyone around the table moaning and dipping and slurping - come on, how can you pass that up?

Gypsy Stew (I am told there are many variations of this low cost, feed a crowd recipe; I would love to hear about them)

In a Dutch Oven place:

1 stewing chicken, cut up
1 large can of Chicken Broth (original recipe calls for College Inn - we have gone a bit upscale from time to time but the College Inn works great)
8 medium onions, quartered
1/2 bottle inexpensive Sherry (really, inexpensive is the way to go!)

Cook the Chicken and stock and onions and sherry in the Dutch Oven on the stove top - don't boil it, but keep it at a nice even simmering heat; when it is cooked - probably about an hour - allow it to cool.  Pick the meat from the bones.  Discard bones and skin (or make "cracklin's" from the skins, just a thought!). Put the chicken back into the broth and onions.

Add to the Chicken mixture in the pot:

8 tomatoes, quartered (in non-tomato season, which is when we mostly eat this, we add 1 large can of tomatoes with the juice; we use kitchen scissors to cut the whole tomatoes up a bit)
add the other 1/2 bottle of Sherry -inexpensive, remember
3 - 5 dried red peppers (we have used fresh hot peppers and/or a mixture of fresh hot and not hot, too)

Simmer this mixture for about 1/2 hour; if you are using fresh tomatoes it will take a bit longer than a half hour.

Now for service:

Put a couple of slices of sharp cheddar cheese in the bottom of a large soup bowl
Ladle the stew over the cheese into the bowl

Serve with good, crusty bread and a green salad.  You will need plenty of bread, and plenty of cheddar cheese.  The broth is absolutely amazing and tastes even better the next day.  There is some sort of magical interaction between the broth, the chicken juices, the inexpensive sherry and the veggies that makes an elixir that you will really want to just eat with a spoon.

Enjoy!

Doing more than "surviving" the Holidays & Thanksgiving Memories coming later this week!

The Philly Foodist will have a large post later this week.  I'll be posting some recipes, resources and ideas as well as fond memories and pictures of our beautiful Thanksgiving at Larken Springs Farm!

Following that big, lush Thanksgiving meal, life automatically becomes twice as stressful for just about everyone - now, the "holidays" are in full swing and all of us feel it.  I will be making some suggestions for enjoying the season, measuring what we all "have to do", as well as including some fun, locally sourced and creative ideas for gifts - especially gifts for foodies.

Media Alert:  Keep your eye on the Perdue lawsuit story by the way.  Insiders have long cited Perdue as one of the cruelist and least sanitary of the mass chicken producers.  Stay informed!

See you later in the week!

And just for a hoot:  Here's what Brussels Sprouts look like in their "real"state.  Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Thoughts and Your Favorite Dishes of the Season

Well folks - the verdict is in - we"re really into the Fall, aren't we?  Philadelphia's wonderful trees are sporting beautiful colors and those wonderful drain spouts are filling up with the products of our old and gorgeous trees.  Even if you are able to ignore the growing tendency of the retail world to push every holiday way before it's occurance - the weather, the time change, the leaves - all have got to have you thinking about Thanksgiving.  You're a Foodie.  It's a Feast.  It's unavoidable.

I have to say that I have always thought that Thanksgiving was a wonderful holiday.  How perfect the day is for locavores, slow foodies, and foodies in general.   The whole concept of the celebration is supposed to be "local" and "seasonal" - the idea is to celebrate the harvest and the fact that you actually have some good foods from the harvest as you prepare for the long winter months.  And you don't have to run around trying to find the perfect gifts - it is truly a time to be together with loved ones and just feast!!  How could that be bad?!? 
And never does one meal do more for the concept of leftovers.  Starting a few hours after the actual feast has wrapped, the "picking" begins, to be followed by days of sandwiches, soups, and of course, the ever fabulous Turkey Tetrazzini!  We have gone so far as to order two turkeys so that we can wallow in left overs after the big day is over and the guests have gone! 

Try to stop yourself from focusing on the hectic nature of the weeks following Thanksgiving - concentrate instead on the actual day and what it means and what it has meant at various times in our nation's history. Lose yourself, instead,  in the selection and preparation of many of the wonderful, local products which we are so lucky to have.  It sounds trite perhaps, but spend a little time thinking about what you truly are thankful for and voice it.  It will make you feel good - and even more hungry!

Again, we live in an absolutely wonderful part of the country when it comes to putting together a Thanksgiving feast.  Our Farms and producers are second to none and our climate allows for wonderful Fall produce to accompany those free range turkeys and pumpkin pies.  It's all right here for us - so we get to skip the travel costs - in money, in taste and in quality - that many other folks wanting a traditional Thanksgiving have to pay because they don't have such easy access.

In the next couple of weeks, I would love to hear from you as to your favorite Thanksgiving recipes.  What has to be on the table or it's just not Thanksgiving?  What do you like to do with the left overs?  Who are you spending the Holiday with this year? 

I will be posting more about what we'll be feasting on and with whom in the next few days.

Lastly, a plug that I must include:  we are faithful customers of Fair Food Farms in the Reading Terminal Market when it comes to ordering our bird.  They provide wonderful options, and all are humanely raised and free of all that "stuff" that makes those turkeys in your stupermarket freezers look so - well - weird.  Get your order in soon!

Please share your recipes, traditions and plans for this year!
Enjoy the Fall.

Marc Vetri beats an Iron Chef! Smoky Chowder recipe. Summer weather in Fall!

Hi Philly Foodies!

Sorry for the time away; back from the road now and looking forward to some extended time off the road.  Fall in Philadelphia - a great time for Philly Foodies!

First of all, a great big congratulations to Marc Vetri, authentic Philadelphian and chef owner of Vetri, Osteria and Amis, for his impressive victory over Michael Symon on Iron Chefs!  If you have ever dined at Vetri and you see the show, you will note that Marc really went to his "authentic" Italian roots.  We wanted to climb through the screen - the dishes he produced were amazing.  Congrats too to his team:  Jeff Michaud and Brad Spence - you did Philly proud, Gentlemen!

Are you getting a bit worried about this strange and unusual Fall/Spring weather we are experiencing?  It's hard to get excited about Apple Cider and "Brown" cocktails.  In the garden, things are sort of "returning" in a weird way - Basil, Oregano, and our Savory.  Yet I am not sure that this is going to be the best for the Fall lettuces and arugula we recentlyplanted.  Also, even though the weather is warm, our cherry peppers, while large, are not turning red.  What are other city gardeners experiencing?  I always figure too that 65 in the areas outside of Philly is at least 70 in a city neighborhood, so while the leaves in the suburbs are changing we're having a protracted Indian Summer.

And speaking of "street food" - in its worse form - may I make a special request that people be a little more aware of what they are doing with their left overs when they are dining on the street.  Anyone who walks a dog in the city will know immediately what I am talking about. Half eaten sandwiches, slices of pizza, french fries (tons of french fries) and all manner of stryofoam containers, paper plates and cups, smeared with all sorts of former food "smears".  Now I have a couple of theories about the sources of these messes, mostly revolving around the fact that I believe this happens most often from people either in or about to get into their cars.  Which means I am damn sure it's not my neighbors, and I am beginning to wonder if it is always city dwellers at all.  I recall when we lived in Old City watching folks leaving the clubs (and the city) get in their car - parked in front of my building - and, believe it or not - empty their ashtrays and all of the trash in their cars onto my sidewalk/gutter!!  Apparently, their belief was that in "the city" you can just dump trash all over the place.  I am wondering if the same mind set is just tossing all of this food refuse on our streets.  City dwellers or visitors, let's all please be a bit more conscious of each other and our environment.

OK, a great recipe that we made this weekend.  From Food and Wine (November 2010):

Smoked Whitefish Chowder

Makes 8 servings - (we cut it in half and it made a lovely 4 servings)

1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 celery ribs,  finely chopped
1 leek, white and green parts, thinkly sliced
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 cup dry white wine
3 1/2 cups organic, low salt chicken stock (recommended - low salt gives you more seasoning leeway)
1 10 oz package of frozen corn kernels, thawed
One 2 pound smoked whitefish (AKA Sable), skin and bones discarded, coarsely flaked (around 3 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped dill
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
Tabasco Sauce/or your favorite hot sauce

In a medium sauce pan, cover the potato chunks with the cream and the milk.  Season lightly with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Partially cover and simmer until tender about 15 minutes.
In a large soup pot melt the butter in the oil; add onion, celery, leek and thyme - cook over moderate heat until softened, about 4 -5 minutes; add the white wine and boil until the liquid is nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes.  And the chicken stock, season with salt very lightly.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer 1/2 of the potatoes to a bowl.  Set aside.

Using a hand held mixer, a blender, or ideally a hand held emersion blender beat the rest of the milk, cream and potato mixture until smooth.
Add the potato chunks, the corn, and the potato/cream/milk puree to the soup pot, heat through - about 5 minutes.

Stir in the whitefish, add the dill and parsley and season with the Tabasco.  Serve Hot.



The Main House and Kitchen Garden at Bartram Gardens



If you get a chance, especially as the weather holds, but most probably in the Spring, do take the tour of historic Bartram's Gardens and Bartram's Home.  Just amazing.

Discount "Food" Store Opens; Political Commercials attack common sense; and a great recipe!

First some musings on things that have gotten my attention - since they have something to do with Food, of course!  And then a recipe for something yummy that I think is "on the Horizon".  Also a Fall Veggie tip that we learned about this weekend at the Head House Farmers Market.  More Fall recipes coming later this week.

To begin:   I am assuming that many of us have heard the sad news about the opening of "Bottom Dollar Foods" in King of Prussia.  This relatively new chain is reflective of what is causing so many of the tragic problems that result from lives spent subsisting on subpar food like substances (thank you Michael Pollen!). The worst "foods" are the cheapest, and if shoppers don't want to go with name brands - they can buy even cheaper versions (the Bottom Dollar label).  So, think enormous snack food and soda aisles, and even larger than enormous frozen food cases! Also - when our own does commercials yet is supposed to be a news station, Channel 6, did a flattering piece for the opening of this chain, they showed "produce rooms" - full of out of season/out of this area, produce in crates. 

Now, we do know that "cheaper" is very often not "better" - especially when it comes to what you put into your body - we do that, don't we?  But the lure of cheap - and "convenient" food (although I don't get what's so convenient) - and kids who demand junk food as a main course - will certainly drive many shoppers to this chain.  And, as a society, we will end up - at some point - paying for it!  There is a reason for the epidemic of Diabetes in the United States!  I am just going to keep saying it - it's not a coincidence!

And to those readers who would use that old chestnut argument,  that, "poor people" can't afford fresh, local food - trust me, as someone who shops almost exclusively at Farmers Markets and Fair Food Farms Market in the Reading Terminal - folks who are experiencing financial challenges in this economy seem to be represented quite well at these markets.  They are using their Access Cards as well as making use of the SNAP program - through the Farmers' Trust by the way.  Also, the growth of Farmers Markets in every section of this city is indicative of the success of these supports. 

Again - we realize that "poor" doesn't mean "stupid" - - although frankly, I am beginning to think that "lazy" may indeed mean "stupid"!

Please keep an eye on Bottom Dollar Foods - with any luck they will stay in King of Prussia or they will close and leave quickly!

One more note:  That commercial? You know the one with the woman pushing her shopping cart down the junk food aisle of her favorite stupermarket, ranting about "taxes on soda, juice, and even flavored waters", while all the time the camera is focused on the huge plastic bottle of generic soda in her hand?  She assures us that she can make the decisions for what her family eats and that she doesn't need the "government to interfere".  Really?  No, Really?  Don't you just want to go through the screen and slap her silly?  The cart is full of junk!  The message is clear:  Americans are going to stuff themselves and their kids with junk, frozen food - like substances, chemically altered stuff,  and as much high fructose corn syrup as is possible, damn it, 'cause that's their right as Americans!!!

Again - we'll pay - eventually.

Recipe Corner:

I am going out on a limb here and predicting that Nut Butters are going to be one of the next big things that foodies will enjoy playing around with in their home kitchens.  They are healthy, delicious and extremely verstatile.  Here's an easy recipe for Almond Nut butter from Fine Cooking magazine (Oct/Nov 2010).  From personal experience so far, it's great on Oatmeal, as a topping on sauteed green beans, on a cracker, and most importantly dolloped over ice cream!

Roasted Almond Butter

Yields about 1 cup

2 cups toasted/roasted almonds (I used whole)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 to 4 tablespoons Canola, vegetable or other neutral oil ( I used Canola and used all 4 Tblspoons)
1 teaspoon Honey

Put the nuts in a high quality blender or a very good food processor (I went with our Blender - it'sold but it's the high performance Waring -  just remember that bringing nuts to a smooth consistency require some real blade strength)

Pulse until roughly chopped; add the salt and then puree the nuts until the nuts are smooth - all the while adding the oil through the pour spout - but be careful, too much oil will make your blend a soupy mess - just keep adding a bit at a time until the mixture is the consistency you want, smooth, buttery but now puddles of oil.

Add the honey and pulse a few times more to mix.

Transfer the mixture to a sterilized jar - you can store it in a cool, dry place for up to 2 months, BUT you can store it in your refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Just remember it's in there!

Lastly, check out Ti Tsao - basically an Asian version of baby spinach - we got this beautiful bunch at Head House on Sunday and sizzled it up quickly in a hot saute pan with some garlic, pepper flakes, good olive oil and salt and pepper - it's also delicious raw.  Check it out.

Baby Spinach - Asian Style - Delicious!

What are you cooking as we get into the real Fall season?

Weather; Composting; A Fabulous Fall Soup Recipe; and A Foodie Event!

The rain and the winds seem to be moving out of the area as I write this - but what a couple of days we had!  While no one would doubt that we needed the rain, no one would have asked for THAT much.  Plus the rains pretty much played havoc with anything left on plants, trees and vines.

This morning, I was greeted by what looked like a carpet of concord grapes in our garden.  A shame and a big loss for the various birds we share our grapevine with each year.  The post storm work was mostly about dumping water, sweeping, and restoring our environment out there.  I am hoping that we will still have plenty of hours spent enjoying the garden, even though I can feel the air changing around me.

The storm was a good reminder that leaves - which can be great in your compost or just tossed in your garden - can be very damaging if they pile up in your downspouts and drains.  We emptied out our French drains of a lot of material - just in time for the rain to arrive.  I am also reminded of the age of some of the enormous trees on our block - when the ground becomes hypersaturated, there is a greater chance for these wonderful old residents of the neighborhood to literally lift up out of the ground and end up on cars and houses.

Speaking of compost, it is a good time to take a look at what you are getting.  This is our first year with a full blown Composter in our side alley - we have been faithful to it and it looks like our efforts have been rewarded, at least a bit, for our first year effort.  We see beautiful black rich matter at the bottom of the composter - how wonderful!  As cooks who mainly use fresh, natural products, we have never been short of "stuff" for the composter and it is yielding some gorgeous results.  I can't encourage city gardeners and urban mini-farmers enough:  it IS worth it; it is not much work and the results will be very useful to the health of your growing space, now matter how small/no matter how large.


Our Urban Composter

                                                                

Just a reminder:  it is time to get those seed garlic bulbs in, along with any lettuces, arugula, and spinach that you hope to be able to harvest into late Fall. I got a feeling the cooler weather is here to stay!

We had some success this year growing Black Kale - a fabulous italian green - which, after we harvested a good deal of it in early summer, kept right on growing right through the hottest days.  We have been so anxious to make this week's recipe using this fabulous - and good for you - kale.  It also provides us with another use for our Swiss Chard - which also did very well this year.



Black Kale



                                                                        

"RIBOLLITA"

(means "reboiled")

This is really the most authentic of all of the Tuscan soups.  It is very popular in Florence and we had wonderful steaming bowls of it on a rainy day in a lovely wine bar in Voltera, a beautiful hill town in Tuscany.  It is reflective of the Italian belief that "nothing should be thrown away" - this dish is a wonderful use for stale bread!

Serves 6 - 8

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

2 minced garlic cloves

2 medium onion, diced fine

2 celery stalks, diced

4 carrots, roughly chopped

3 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 bunch of Swiss Chard washed, trimmed and chopped

1 bunch of Black Kale washed, trimmed and chopped

1/2 head of Savoy cabbage, shredded

2 potatoes, peeled and diced

2 cups cooked white beans - with their liquid

Salt and pepper; a pinch or two of red chile flakes

Water

1 loaf of stale Tuscan bread or other sturdy country white bread - sliced thickly

Additional EVOO for drizzling over the soup

Heat the EVOO; add the garlic, onions, celery and carrots.  Cook until the onions become translucent.

Add the chopped tomatoes - cook another 5 minutes

Add the remaining vegetables, including the beans and their liquid, add salt and pepper to taste, and a pinch of red pepper flakes

Add enough water to just cover all; bring to a boil

Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer the soup for about 2 hours - until the veg is very tender and the broth is rich and flavorful

NOW - this is the "Ribollita" part - you can eat the soup as it is - it is a fantastic minestrone OR you can "Reboil" it (the meaning of ribollita) with the bread.

To reboil the soup:  layer bread in another pot, alternate with full ladels of soup

Bring the soup to a boil slowly; remember to cook carefully so that the bottom doesn't burn. 

Stir frequently to mix the bread evenly throughout the soup. 

The soup is done when the bread dissolves completely and is absorbed into the liquid. 

Ladle into individual bowls and drizzle with EVOO

Ribollita goes very nicely with a rich Italian red wine!

Foodie Event next Week! 

The first Night Market will be held Thursday October 7th from 6 pm to 10 pm at East Passyunk and Tasker.

Exotic Eats, Live Music and Fun Drinks.

Come support this wonderful neighborhood event!!!  Let's make Night Market a regular event!