Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Wedding Project 3 week hiatus post

Oh my God I have been sucking at this lately. In my defense I did get sick, go to New York and go to Virginia. But that is no excuse. so hereforth is my holiday round up. I guess these are days 96-117. Sheesh.

a whole bunch of egg sandwiches
no falafel at all :(
some amazing wurst from a cart up in NY
many, many good beers
a couple of fruit smoothies
a lot of pasta
two amazing meals at Kanella, that pork is to die for as well as the whole dorado
a couple of good meals at Varga
a boat load of soup, lots of chicken noodle; with many grilled cheese sandwiches
a bunch of veggies
a hot pocket
Domino's, more than once
mediocre Chinese, more than once
really good sushi
The Feast of the Seven fishes, more on that later
some good steaks and veggies, more on that later
my favorite Thai joint in Virginia
pork shoulder roast with veggies, more on that later
some virginia ham
picnic grub
Trader Joes's Indian food, really not that bad
a few WAWA gobbler's, really gross, but tasty
a number of good bottles of wine
and a bunch of stuff I just can't remember


Now, I'll try to not have such a huge hiatus again but I am leaving for California in a couple days, so we'll see how that goes.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Wedding project day 95

scrambled eggs and bacon

chinese scallion pork and fried rice

spanish octopus with spicy marinara and potatoes

a bowl of cereal

Monday, December 7, 2009

Wedding project days 91, 02, 93, and 94

Day 91

an apple, sausage sandwich

Percy st. BBQ, brisket, rips tips and a bunch of sides

Day 92

Some sort of bean casserole thing

more Percy st. BBQ, sausage, pinto beans, and potato salad

Day 93

Lunch at Kanella (oh so awesome)

kebob, tahini, pickla, hummus, falafel, gelatobourekos; freaking delicious

Mac and cheese, and some cookies

Day 94

a bowl of cereal

chinese food: wonton soup, shrimp dumplings, Ma Po Tofu

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Wedding project day 90

Bacon, egg and cheese sandwich

pasta with pesto

bunch-a-crunch

Wedding project day 89

Falafel sandwich

a bowl of cereal

that's it?

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Wedding project day 88

some stuffing

pizza. asparagus, arancini

gelato

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Wedding project day 87

a bag of popcorn

french onion soup

thanksgiving leftovers

Monday, November 30, 2009

Wedding project days 83, 84, 85, and 86

Day 83

some scrambled eggs and hash browns

some turkey and stuffing eaten as fast as possible

fried zucchini and chicken fingers

Day 84

remember that ridiculous Thanksgiving Menu I typed up a few days ago,

that.

plus about 14 bottles of wine and champagne.

Day 85

Onion soup, frisee salad

meatballs and noodles in a weird cream sauce

Thanksgiving leftovers

Day 86

Varga Caesar salad

Thanksgiving leftovers (I'll be posting this a lot.)

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Wedding project days 81 and 82

Day 81

a roast pork sandwich

some of the best sushi I have ever had:
eel roll, amazing uni, I mean uh-maze-ing!!
eternal sunshine roll w/ panko crusted Chilean sea bass, avocado, balsamic blueberry, salmon and nuts
udon, seaweed salad, an oyster shooter

and the best bottle of sake I have ever had

Momokawa Sugidama cedar ball sake

and a totally decent bottle of Snow Beauty nigori.

Day 82

sausage egg and cheese

hand drawn noodle bowl

Domino's pizza

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Thanksgiving Menu 2009

So I have really sucked at updating recently but here it is kiddies, my 2009 Thanksgiving menu!!!

1st course
Mystic oysters with Asian pear, persimmon mignonette

2nd course
Sweet corn custard with shelled mussels and bouillabaisse broth with sofrito

3rd course
Roasted acorn squash with cranberry gastrique, candied pistachios, and blue cheese

4th course
Deep fried turkey
sourdough stuffing with pear and sausage
smoked Gouda mashed potatoes
port and tangerine cranberry sauce
sweet potato and apple "fideos" with cider and cinnamon marshmallow
roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon
braised collard greens with lardons
sourdough and pumpkin rolls with whipped butter

5th course
Deconstructed and reconstructed pear sorbet

6th course
pumpkin pie with spiced whipped cream
apple galette with french vanilla ice cream
chocolate silk pie
possibly a mystery dessert


Monday, November 23, 2009

wedding project day 81

Falafel cart
margarita pizza

that's it!

Wedding project days 74-80

Wow I sucked a this this week so here is a quick weeks breakdown

3 sausage egg and cheese sandwich's
some chinese food and leftovers
leek and apple risotto
apple braised chard
roasted cornish game hen
a few nasty staff meals
some falafel cart yumminess
a tasty caesar salad
varga burger
standard tap burger (varga won)
mexican egg breakfast
beer and more beer
cereal
tomato soup and grilled cheese

that's pretty much the week more or less.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Wedding project days 70, 71, and 72

Day 70

Sausage egg and cheese

biscotti

pizza and wings

Day 71

Pancakes

some sort of polenta like substance from Supper

beer and popcorn

Day 72

bagel

lobster and clam pot, with corn, potatoes, sausage, lots of goodies

a slice of leftover pizza


Friday, November 13, 2009

Wedding project day 69

sausage egg and cheese

polenta

Varga Caesar Salad

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Wedding project days 67 and 68

Day 67

Fallafel cart lunch

a chicken sandwich and a frosty shake

Day 68

Sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich

Mr. Chicken fingers

a bag of Skittles

Monday, November 9, 2009

Wedding project days 64, 65, and 66

Day 64

some leftover rice pudding

staff meal, some sort of meat with rice

a delicious Varga burger

Day 65

some eggs

Varga veggie burger and salad

Dominos pasta breadbowl (gross)

Day 66

two pork tacos

grilled cheese and tomato soup

turkey sandwich and mashed potatoes

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Wedding project day 63

sausage egg and cheese with jalapenos

chinese rice

rice pudding

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Wedding project day 62

Sausage egg and cheese sandwich

Brussels Sprouts, penne with artichokes, peppers and garlic

Arborio rice pudding

Wedding project days 60 and 61

Day 60

a bowl of cereal

a nice Italian dinner, penne arrabiata, mozzarella caprese, rum cake, sauteed spinach

Day 61

some fresh fruit

lentil soup, veggie pie and rice pudding

some chili

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Wedding project day 59

a baked potato, some chili

a few slices of pizza

some ice cream

Monday, November 2, 2009

Wedding project days 55, 56, 57, and 58

Day 55

leftover philly chili and a potato

Varga bar snacks: beer and a salad

Day 56

Fallafel cart
some drinks and a sandwich with my bro

Day 57

some chinese food

staff meal: rice and chicken

Phillies snacks, sliders and fries

Day 58

eggs and a blintz

some mussels and clams

two gorditas; one with pork and one with veggies

a few of Chris's duck fries

Way too much beer this weekend


Thursday, October 29, 2009

wedding project day 54

egg and cheese sandwich

Philly chili and a baked potato

(Cliff Lee, you rock my world!!)


Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Wedding project day 53

an apple

some chicken and rice

2 slices of free pizza

some smoked butternut squash soup

Monday, October 26, 2009

wedding project day 52

an egg sandwich

some leftover chinese and pizza

a Varga caesar salad (seriously this thing is amazing!)

Wedding project days 50 and 51

Day 50

roast beef sandwich and popcorn

lobster bisque, a pork sandwich

Day 51

a big ol' pot of lobster, prawns, mussels, sausage, corn, potatoes, and shrimp

a little bit of cheese

Friday, October 23, 2009

Wedding project day 49

an apple

fallafel cart sandwich

That's it!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Wedding project day 48

an apple, and a egg and cheese sandwich

something that can only be described as some combination of lasagna, sheppard's pie, and chili; and yes, I ate it

AMAZING drinks at the Franklin

Late night Dominos (I am so bad)

Wedding project day 47

an apple

a kielbasa

some nachos, half a rueben (not sure where the other half ended up)

pumpkin pie and some other desserty thing

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Wedding project days 45 and 46

Day 45

dumplings, egg drop soup, chicken and rice

shrimp cocktail pork sandwich

Day 46

an apple

some chicken with peppers and onion, salad

baked brie, artichoke chips, sun chips

Monday, October 19, 2009

Wedding project days 41, 42, 43, and 44

Day 41

some chinese food

Staff meal, beef and rice

a bowl of cereal

Day 42

and apple

a gyro and then some traveling food, chips and popcorn

pizza

Day 43

Eggs and bacon

Timber fest grub, pulled pork, pot pie, corn, funnel cake

Lindy's B-day dinner, beef stew, salmon, chocolate cake, beer

Day 44

Eggs and sausage

Sheppard's pie, shoefly pie, pumpkin pie (it was a good day for pie)

Brussels sprouts and pasta 

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Wedding project days 39 and 40

Day 39

an apple

a bowl of chili

some baked wings

Day 40

an apple

some broiled bluefish and cucumber salad

sirloin roast, braised chard, mashed potatoes, winter squash soup, and apple turnovers

Monday, October 12, 2009

Wedding project days 37 and 38

Day 37

and egg sandwich and then apple picking, I ate like 6 apples so I won't be seeing the doctor for a while

a rueben and some apple cider doughnuts

a late night sharing of some meatloaf and chard

Day 38

a burger eaten far too quickly

a couple of wings and beer

and the Phillies are VICTORIOUS!!! 

Friday, October 9, 2009

Wedding project days 35 and 36

Day 35

Fruit, mango, banana, apple

leftover chinese food and mashed potatoes

a salad some beer and a popsicle 

Day 36

Tuna chopped salad and half a salmon BLT

Chicken and rice

a kasewurst and sauerkraut 

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Wedding project days 33 and 34

Day 34

a bowl of total

Tasty house dinner, Ma Po tofu, Soup, dumplings, and duck with green beans

Day 34

Egg and cheese sandwich

Staff meal fired chicken and fish

American dinner; pot roast, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and a salad

Monday, October 5, 2009

Wedding project days 30, 31 and 32

Day 30

A visit to the greeks day, Fallafel cart sandwich 

two apps at Kanella, Phyllo wrapped feta with honey and beet salad, and Shimp with couscous salad

and some galatobourekos.

Day 31

Octoberfest!!

Beer, Brats and Saag Paneer (what? That's traditional Octoberfest food??)

Caesar salad

Day 32

Kanella lunch, sepia, hummus and Roast rabbit with wheat berries and tomato

That's it!  This one meal was good for a day! 

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Wedding project days 28 and 29

Day 28

Oyster house grub, Burger, Gumbo and bread pudding

and then... Ballpark Food!!  Bull's BBQ, sausage and beers

Day 29

Egg and cheese sandwich

Beef and rice staff meal

a bowl of strawberry tarragon sorbet

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Wedding project day 27

Sausage, egg and and cheese sandwich

a big bowl of Pho with Vietnamese sausage roll

chicken fritters  

Monday, September 28, 2009

Wedding project day 26

I'm bad, I cheated 2 days i a row.

Late night wings and breadsticks

some pasta

some taco bell (it's gross, I know but it is so satisfying sometimes)

Wedding project days 24 and 25

Day 24

I really can't remember what I ate today.  I had a large bowl of pasta at some point (read: late at night)

A sausage sandwich

staff meal, Pizza?, salad?

Day 25

a delicious burger

a lot of beer

some tasty cheese

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Wedding project day 23

Sausage egg and cheese sandwich

left over pizza

Shorti italian hoagie

Some tasty cheese

Friday, September 25, 2009

Wedding project day 22

Three slices of pizza and a few slices of bread, that's it

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Wedding project days 20 and 21

Day 20

Fallafel cart Lunch w/ a soda
Hush puppies and brisket

Day 21

A bowl of fruit for breakfast
a bowl of rice for dinner
a bread bowl of pasta for late night grubbing (cheat)

I really stuck with a bowl theme today

Monday, September 21, 2009

Wedding project days 18 and 19: Back Home at Last

Day 18: the beginning of hell week 

The Varga Caesar salad

Wawa flatbread and mashed potatoes, gross, I know

Day 19

a kielbasa with cheese and onions, gross but yum

staff meal, frito pie, gross and gross

Saturday, September 19, 2009

BEER OF THE WEEK: Vacation Edition


As the saying goes, Do as the Romans do.  So this weeks beer is going to be a bay area local. 

Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale

Weighing in at a respectable 5.9 ABV this has all the qualities of the new American style, IPA.  All hops and citrus with a pleasant bitterness on the finish.

Going into the glass you get the classic hop aromas of pine and citrus, which come from the blend of chinook and Cascade hops.  It also features a nice fluffy white head that has very good retention.  It almost stings the nose with a bit of floral spice.

As far as mouthfeel you get what you expect.  A pleasing crispness followed by a lingering bitterness.  It does have enough malt to mellow some of the bitterness and give the beer a nice backbone.  Pairs great with anything spicy, particularly and thing Asian.  Sushi with a bit of wasabi pairs great with this beer, or if just having a snack a good, sharp Tillamook cheddar also plays well.

Well not my favorite beer I've posted, a very good example of the style.  Besides, when you're in Rome you don't order tequila.

Wedding project day 17: Traveling edition

Airport food!

Breakfast at the diner, omelet, hash browns and toast

lunch at the food court, beans, tacos and guac

Southwest in-flight snacks 

Wedding project days 15 and 16: Vacation edition

Day 15

Cereal

picnic lunch in a vineyard; potato salad, chicken salad and the like

shrimp Caesar salad with some beer

Day 16

more cereal

road snacks and half a french dip with Mr. Pibb (why can't I find this in Philly?)

Left overs French dip, shrimp, Caprese salad and a martini 

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Wedding project day 14: Vacation edition

Big breakfast: eggs, toast, bacon and scones

Jack in the Box tacos

Steelhead salmon,ravioli and cheesecake

a slice of pizza, late.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Wedding project day 13: Vacation edition

Brunch leftovers

In and Out burger and fries

Steak and potatoes 

How American am I

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Wedding project days 11 and 12: Vacation edition

Day 11

Huge brunch, stuffed french toast, Moroccan beef with eggs, quiche, bacon, homefries the works

San Francisco sushi, Awesome

Day 12

Croissant, real sourdough

some pasta salad, half a Dean and Deluca sandwich and a whole lot of wine, one ounce at a time

pizza

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Wedding project day 10: Vacation edition

morning tea with tea sandwich's

Grilled lunch, burger's and the like

flautas and lemonade and mini golf

ah, California.

Wedding project day 9: Traveling edition

Gross.

Bratwurst 

Roast pork sandwich from Chickie's and Pete's airport edition

Southwest airline snacks

In and Out Burger and milkshake (Ah yeah!!)

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Wedding project day 8

Delicious Falafel Sandwich from my guy at the cart
and a late night cheat... Domino's.

No really, all I had before 11:30 PM was a sandwich and a gatorade.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Wedding project day 7

Sausage egg and cheese sandwich

a Mountain Dew

a whole lot of oysters with a few pisser clams thrown in for good measure

a few slices of pizza, Hawaiian 

Restaurant week

So I should give a small plug to the place I'm working, right?

So yolks, if you are choosing to attend the madness that is Restaurant Week, Supper should be on your short list.

Why, you ask?  Because they are offering 5 courses, that's right 5, for 35 buck-a-roos.  

Check it out;


  

BEER OF THE WEEK!!!


Oh man do I have a treat for you today.  The Brainchild of Mr. Ferran Adria,
I give you Estrella Damm Inedit.

Weighing in at a low 4.8 ABV this beer was specially designed to be paired with food.  It was designed like a wine and that may be one of the reasons it drinks a bit like Champagne.

It pours a beautiful straw gold with a good pale white head which fades quickly and releases lovely citrus and vanilla notes.

This beer is supremely drinkable; it only comes in a 750ml but you won't want to share it.
The mouthfeel is silky with strong notes of orange peel and honey with the slightest bitterness and subtle spices.

The standard beer characteristics of malt and hop bitterness are totally gone and have been replaced with the yeast and bread quality of good Champagne.  It's a real trip at first but is awesome with food.  

It's not cheap but good wine/beer isn't, right?

Wedding project day 6

Bagel with cream cheese

a piece of chicken and some mashed potatoes while wine tasting

left over BBQ food 

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Easy grilling

Okay kids here are two of my favorite things to grill.

In a metal or aluminum pan slice two onions and pour in two bottles of brown ale.  Place the pan on your top grill rack with the grill on medium heat.

Meanwhile shuck and clean some corn, 6 ears will do.  Place these on a sheet of foil.  Cut up half a stick of butter and 5 cloves of garlic and place on corn.  Season with salt and pepper and wrap up tight in foil, 2 layers.  Place this on the top rack next to the pan with the onions.  Add 6 brats to the pan with onions.  

Let these cook for about 20-25 minutes.  If you like take this opportunity to grill some other things.  

Remove the corn pack from the grill and cut open.  Place ears on bottom grill rack and pull the brats from beer and place these next to corn and get a nice bit of char on both corn and brats.

Cover the brats with the beer cooked onions and a good stone ground mustard.

Enjoy.  

wedding project day 5

Sabrina's brunch: bagel with lox and a schmear

a soda
BBQ lunch: Brats, pulled pork, corn, asparagus, pasta, potato and beet salads
beers and honeydew margaritas, Awesome.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Wedding project day 3 and 4

Day 3
Amish breakfast creamed chipped beef on toast eggs
honey lemonade
staff meal: chicken
awesome drinks at Southwark
some tasty beer and a late night cheat, half a cheesesteak. Jim's is delicious at 2 AM

Day 4
Soft shell crab sandwich at Varga
Caesar salad at Varga
How did I go there twice in one day?

Friday, September 4, 2009

The Wedding Project

Day 2

Bacon, egg and cheese sandwich
a few chicken wings with peppers and onions
Beef gulash
a big Aventinus

Thursday, September 3, 2009

The New Project

Okay kiddies here's the deal. So I am trying to lose a wee bit of my general girth. Now I'm not into the whole diet thing because eventually you go off said diet and then you just regain anything you may have lost. So I am going to lose weight by making small changes to my general lifestyle and eating habits.

THE PROPOSAL
To lose 1/5 of my total body weight by the time I get married. (vaguely 19 months away)

HOW I'LL DO IT
-no food after 10 PM
-no more than 2 sodas a week, preferably I'll go down to no soda at all but we'll see
-more exercise, Minimum 40 push-ups and 100 sit-ups a day
-if eating in a restaurant any dessert will be shared
-Beer, drink less of it? I mean I have to keep up with Beer of the Week right? Oh, and I can have beer after 10PM, I mean, come on.
-I'm allowed one cheat a week


I'll also try to catalog, here, what I eat and drink on a daily basis.

So I guess I need a name for this project so I'll call it The Wedding project.

And here's my first update.

Day 1,
Fallafel cart lunch, chicken, figs, grapes, greens, fallafel, freaking delicious.
Mt. Dew

Bowl of cereal

skated 8 miles



Monday, August 31, 2009

The Long Hiatus BEER OF THE WEEK!!!



Alright so I've been terrible about posting recently so you're going to get a triple edition of beer this week.  So let's get right to it.

First up Sly Fox Dunkel Weiss:

This Dunkel rolls in at a nice 5.8 ABV perfect for summer drinking.  It is a fairly typical dunkel with a rich, creamy, tan head and a nice malty mouth feel.  On the nose you'll find bananas, cloves, bubblegum, chocolate and rich caramelized malt.

In the mouth, you'll get all of those as well as a slight bitterness and a taste of yeast.  This bee
r is quite refreshing and easy to drink.  Order a Liter on draft and have a bratwurst and you're good to go.

Next up, B.B Burgerbrau Budweiser:
The menu at Brauhaus lists this as the only they Budweiser they would let there friends drink, and brother they aren't kidding.  This thing is frickin' delicious.

This Czech Pilsner weighs in at 5.0 ABV and pours a deep gold with and crisp, lingering white head.  The aroma is bread dough, grassy hops and autumn fruit.

As far as mouth feel it as all crisp fresh pilsner with creamy malt, yeasty bread and apple peels.  It has a very pleasant bitterness which lingers on the finish.  It goes down so smooth you'll drink it faster than you can imagine.  If this is what that better known Budweiser tasted like I would be drinking cases and cases of it.

And lastly, Lost Abbey 10 Commandments:
This Belgian string ale come in at a sexy 9.0 ABV to really warm you up.  It pours coal black with a glimmer of rich mahogany, a creamy mocha head rises from the depths.  You smell this the instant it touches the glass.

The aroma is all dark fruit and rum.  Raisins, figs, plums, chocolate and alcohol.  It's like drinking a fruitcake, in a good way.

The mouth on this thing starts off with with dark roasted malts and that raisin-y fruitcake.  The alcohol is present on the fish but without the burn you find in some other strong ales.

Be careful about drinking a whole one of these as it can cause you to sin. 

Monday, August 3, 2009

BEER OF THE WEEK!!!


Okay kiddies I have a treat for you this week.  This week's beer is Dogfish Head Raison D'Extra.

This is one serious beer.  I had one of these babies Saturday night at Monk's cafe and I still taste it.  It's a Belgian style strong ale.  It rocks in at 18% ABV!  It falls somewhere between a beer and a brandy and is a great way to end a night.

It pours a hazy rust brown and the aroma whacks you in the face from the get go.  It's all caramel, dates, port and and smells rich and creamy.  The head dissipates almost immediately and is more fizzy than creamy, but then, you taste it.

Velvet smooth, lively carbonation, it should be enjoyed room temperature to let the flavors really sing.  Molasses, spice, cinnamon, burnt sugar and dried dates are just a few flavors you can pick out.  This is a sipping beer all the way.  

I recommend enjoying it with illegal Cuban cigars.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

BEER OF THE WEEK!!!


Here's something tasty to drink with that pulled pork I know you're making.  This weeks beer is Elysian Avatar Jasmine IPA .

It hails from Seattle WA and has dried Jasmine flowers added in the boiling process to give it a bit more floral-ness.

I know I keep saying that I'm not a big IPA guy but this one is awesome.  I had it on draft at Varga Bar the other day and it blew my mind.  

It pours a nice medium amber and has a fast dissipating off-white head.  The nose has nice floral notes with hints of pine, caramel and surprise, surprise, jasmine. 

Really complicated in the mouth; honey, slight bitterness, flowers, caramel, banana and a surprising creaminess.   The taste completely covers the 5.2 % ABV, which makes it way too easy to drink.

One disclaimer, I have heard it tastes really different in the bottle than on draft.  And then second time I tasted it it had a slight soapiness that wasn't present the first time.  I would still give it another shot.

I really love the guys at Elysian, every beer I've ever had of there's is great. 

Carolina Pulled Pork

Okay kids here is my recipe for pulled pork  it takes some time but it is so worth it.  You will need:

One Pork Butt (shoulder) bone in and skin on, patted dry (about ten pounds)

The Dry Rub 
1 cup cocoa powder (yes, chocolate)
1 Tbl sweet paprika
1 Tbl smoked paprika
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper, ground
1 tsp salt

mix all ingredients together

The Vinegar Sauce
2 cups good cider vinegar
1 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup pomegranate molasses, substitute ketchup in need be
1 Tbl Asian chili paste, sriracha (optional)
1/4 cup brown sugar
5 tsp salt
1 Tbl red chili flake
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp white pepper 

Whisk together all ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat and bring to a simmer.  Remove from heat and let cool.

Pickled Red Onions (optional, but delicious)
1 medium red onion halved and cut into thin slices
1 habanero seeded and finely diced, where gloves for this!
1/2 cup white vinegar or palm vinegar
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together in an airtight container and allow to pickle in the fridge for 24 hours.

For the Pork
Rub the pork all over with the dry rub and then wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 8-10 hours.

When the pork is done marinating take it out of the fridge and let it get to room temp for half an hour or so and then place, skin side up, in a large lidded dutch over or braising pan.  Pour in one 12 oz can Dr. pepper and one bottle of beer, I prefer an ale but a lager works as well.  Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.  Place the dutch oven in the middle of the oven and cook for 12-14 hours.  You know it's done when the meat easily comes off with a fork.

When the meat is done cooking remove from the pan and place it in a large metal bowl to cool.  as soon as the meat is cool enough to handle remove the skin and the bone and as much fat as possible.  Now you can do the next part with two forks, but it's a lot more fun to use your hands.  Shred all of the meat picking out bits of fat and any hard bits.  Lick your fingers.

Now pour the vinegar sauce over the meat and work it in till the meat is nice and moist.  Place in containers and freeze or refrigerate.  It tastes better after a few days but it's pretty good right away.

Place on buns with some pickled red onion and make some new friends. 

 

Monday, July 13, 2009

BEER OF THE WEEK: Vacation Edition


Okay kiddies, I have updated in a bit but I have half an excuse.  I've been away for vacation with no Internet in site.  But since I've left you hanging you're going to get a double dose of beers and a few tasty recipes.  

First up McSorley's Black Lager:

Here's a dark beer that I really enjoy in the summer.  Made for McSorley's pub up in New York, this dark lager pour dark black the a nice tan head on its shoulders and is all malt.  Toasty notes of coffee, toffee, and burnt toast with a hint of acid to it.  It drinks thinner than a stout, which is great if you want to drink a bunch of then, but is surprisingly refreshing.

This isn't the greatest schwarzbier in the world but is totally decent and has a great history.  Not only is it from one the oldest pubs in the country but they brewed it in there basement during prohibition.  Suck on that government! 



Second on the docket is that oh so simple of summer pleasures Doc Equis Lager.

Now let's be honest, this is not the greatest beer in the world, but, it is one of the
 only beers that I drink with fruit.  On a hot summer day when you're grilling meat out on the beach.  You fill a bucket with ice and brews, drop a lime wedge in each and enjoy the summer.

For a macro lager from Mexico this is really not bad.  For me this trumps all the BudMillerCoorsPabstCoronaRollingrock crap that most of this country drinks.  It's crisp, refreshing and consumed by the most interesting man in the world.

It pours a nice yellow gold with a quickly dissipating  white head.  Has no body at all and a thin mouth feel but really does refresh, especially with that lime in it.  A tiny bit of sweetness and floral hops can be found, as well as a slight metallic finish.  This beer does not last on the palate so you should go ahead a crack open another one.

Stay thirsty my friends. 

 

Saturday, June 20, 2009

BEER OF THE WEEK!!!


Okay, before I tell you about this weeks beer of the week I have an announcement; I'm Engaged!  I proposed on Tuesday and she said yes!  now on to the beer.

This weeks beer is Slyfox Ichor Quadruppel.  This beer weighs in at a hefty 10.0 ABV.  Pours a dark brown with a nice tan head.  A sweet bready nose with strong doses of dried fruits, think raisins,prunes and dates.  

You definitely taste the alcohol but that can be a bit inviting for the rainy days we've been having.  The Ichor drinks very full bodied, kind of like sipping on a fruitcake with a good bit of spice.  This is great to end a night with.  If you are pairing with food I would say something real spicy or dessert.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

English Peas with tarragon and mint

Okay, I lied, here is one short recipe for a quick summer side dish. Here's what you'll need:

~2 lbs unshelled English peas, or snap peas
~3 Tbls butter
~6 mint leaves
~3 tarragon sprigs
~salt

To start, shell all the peas. It'll take awhile so turn on a movie, try Big Night, it will make you really hungry. Next bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Now drop the peas into the water. Count to 20. Now strain the peas out and quickly put into an ice water bath to shock. If you want you could stop now and refridgerate for a few days or continue now. In a medium saucepan melt the butter until foam subsides. While it is melting remove the leaves from the tarragon sprigs and julienne those and the mint leaves. Now add the herbs and shocked peas to the butter and stir in until heated through. About 90 seconds. Salt to taste and eat.

I have a great photo for you but it is unfortunately it is on my dead laptop.

BEER OF THE WEEK!!!


Okay, I know I haven't been about about hitting this thing regularly but I have an excuse. My hard drive went belly up early this week so I am using loner laptops at the moment. But I still have to present my BEER OF THE WEEK!

This week it's Weyerbacher Double Simcoe.

Pay attention kids because you will not be seeing a lot of IPA's on this blog. This one is a big exception. Brewed from simcoe hops and weighing in at 9.0 ABV this beer is no joke. This has all the hoppiness of its milder cousins but has a sexy malt backbone that calms that bitterness right down.

It pours a reddish orange and has a long lingering white head. It starts off all caramel and pinapple and then sneaks in a finish of hops and pine. Complex with a disarming creamyness, this beer begs you to drink more. But beware friends and Romans, this thing will sneak up on you quick. More than two and you are asking for a night you won't remember with bruises you don't know the origin of.


*Hopefully my new hard drive will arrive soon and I will be able to salvage some of the info from my old one. Till than I won't have any pics or recipes to throw on here. I will update as often as I can.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

BEER OF THE WEEK!!!


Sorry for the delay folks but I've been working on opening up the Oyster House on Sansom street.  More will come on that.  but it is time for the.....

BEER OF THE WEEK!!!

This week's beer is Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier.

This German gem is perfect for hot summer days, baseball and BBQ.  Delicious and refreshing in bottles or on draft.  This gem is a top fermented wheat beer hailing from munich and has a history dating back to 1363!!!  Pours a glowing gold with a nice lingering head.  Refreshing on the nose with strong aromas of bananas and lemon.   This beer has a super smooth creamy mouthfeel that practically has sex with your tongue.  This is a pleasure to drink with all the tastes of the nose plus a strong yeasty backbone for the citrus to bounce off of.  This is one of my all time favorites.  And this isn't the last you'll be seeing of that merry monk.  In the Autumn there Dunkel-weiss is even better than the Hefe. 

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

BEER OF THE WEEK!!!


This weeks beer is Avery Karma.

This sexy belgian style session ale hails from the Avery brewing company of Boulder Colorado.  5.2 ABV comes out orange honey gold on draft with a sweet fruity aroma and a nice two fingers of head.  A surprising amount out flavor for a beer this mild, a hint of Apricot and orange blossom with a nice backbone of yeast and stale hops.  This a is a lovely summer sipper that I will be tracking all summer.  

I almost wish it was marketed differently because the Belgian style listing is a bit misleading, it doesn't have those huge spicy flavors I tend to associate with the big Belgians, but it isn't in the same weight class.  For the price and the potency it is a pure Karmic delight.   

Is this town too small for two greeks?

So I was walking back to Lindy's apartment the other day and outside of Kanella, Konstantinos was talking to friend and gave me a wave, so I walked over and who was he talking to but Konstandinos Kristis of the best food cart in Philly!  My two favorite Greeks in one place.  My head almost exploded.  All I am saying is that these two could open one ass kicking establishment.   

People, if you haven't been to either of these establishments, run, don't walk, and get yourself some tasty grub.  Kanella is located on the corner 10th and Spruce and the Beautiful food cart is located at 20th and Market and is open weekdays till 2:30.  And they are both BYOB.  Though if you are drinking at the food cart you might be arrested so brown bag it kids.

Recipes to come:

Rabbit Schnitzel with spring vegetables 

English peas with Tarragon and mint


And here's a new feature, introducing My beer of the week pick I'll try to post at least one beer a week of something I think is not only the bomb, but also the diggity.

 

Monday, April 27, 2009

The Gooey!

So I had my first BBQ of '09 on Saturday.  Twas a blast and good times were had and a delicious discovery was made.  I created a new sandwich called the gooey.  Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to photograph it but this is what it consists of: a grilled hamburger the caramelized onions and cheddar, a split grilled hot dog, carolina pulled pork, pickled red onions, fresh tomato and arugula.  Freaking delicious but very difficult to fit in your mouth.  Will have to work on that.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Wild Ramp Risotto


Okay so here is the recipe I made tonight, actually I'm going to give you the version I should have made.

You will need:

-1/4 lb. ramps, washed, pink and white stems removed and coarsely chopped and greens thinly sliced 
-1/2 lb. mild Italian sausage, casing removed (I used hot, I would not recommend it)
-1 clove garlic minced
-4 T. butter 
-1 1/4 cup Arborio* rice
-3 1/2 cups chicken stock plus extra, homemade is best, low sodium will do in a pinch
-1/2 cup dry vermouth
-3/4 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano
-kosher salt and fresh ground pepper (throw away your pepper shaker and buy a grinder)
-the zest and juice from half a lemon 

Melt 2 T. of the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat.  In a separate saucepan heat the stock to a simmer and leave on the heat.  Ad the sausage to the melted butter and brown it all breaking it up as you go.  Add the the white part of the ramps and cook, stirring , for about 2 minutes.  Stir in the rice and cook for another 90 seconds.  Pour in the the Vermouth and deglaze** the pan.   Once the vermouth is absorbed pour in about a cup of the stock and stir in.  Continue to cook over low heat adding stock as needed until rice is al dente, about 20 minutes
Add the ramp greens and stir in, once they have started to wilt add in Parmesan and butter.  Take this opportunity to throw in a good pinch of sat and about six grinds of pepper.  Squeeze in the lemon juice, add the zest and plate immediately.  Top with a bit of parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.  

Enjoy.

*Arborio rice is an Italian short grain rice; risotto must be made with short grain rice, there are a bunch of different varieties but I find Arborio is the most affordable and easiest to find.  Oddly enough, Whole Foods bulk foods section is one of the cheapest places to find it. DO NOT try and make do with a medium or long grain rice, the result will be shit.

*Deglazing is a fancy way of saying, get the little burned off bits off of the bottom of the pan using a liquid.  Water would work but why not bring some flavor to the party.  If you don't have vermouth use dry white wine.

   

Guess what kids, Ramps are in season! Huzzah!

So Ramps are in season now and I am pumped.  I love ramps, it's like a little taste of home even though I never ate them at home.  Go figure.

For those not in the know a Ramp or Ramsom is a wild leek that grows in Appalachia.  Primarily West Virginia and Northern Virginia and the flavor is similar to a normal leek with a bit more piquancy.  Awesome in risotto, soup, cereal, anything.  They are freaking delicious.  

Tonight's recipe: Ramp and Sausage Risotto.  Depending on how it turns out I'll post the recipe later.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Awesome dinner at Kanella







So I have to send a huge thanks to Konstantinos for the spectacular meal he prepared for us at Kanella Tuesday night.  To the left you see our featured dish of the night.  Roasted lambs head in its own sauce with white beans.  He even had the courtesy to take it back to the kitchen and crack the skulls open so we could get to the
brains.  And I will admit, I'm not a huge brains fan but these were delicious.  Rich, custard like, just plain good.  The eyes were also excellent.


The game game birds he served us were also most excellent. Wood pigeon and  pheasant with chickpeas and green beans.         
 


All of the entrees were fabulous.  Goat Stew with fried okra and pork with spring onions and potatoes.   Will post more later.




Saturday, April 11, 2009

Brussels sprouts

So he is one of my favorite recipes.  You will need:

-1 lb Brussels Sprouts (should be bright green and firm)
-4 strips of bacon
-Salt and Pepper
-That's it!!!

To begin wash sprouts and cut in half lengthwise, if they are really small you don't need to cut them.  Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil then drop in the sprouts.  Cook for 2 minutes then strain out and put in an ice bath to shock.  You can now dry them and keep them for a few days or continue right now.  Dice the bacon and throw into a 12 inch saute pan and brown.  Strain out the bacon and put the pan back on the burn and turn the heat to high.  Also turn your broiler on.  When bacon fat is really hot throw in the sprouts.  Throw on a good pinch of slat and fresh ground pepper.  Sear them for about a minute and then flip them and do the other side.  Now put the pan under the broiler for about 2 minutes until sprouts are nicely caramelized.  Eat immediately. 

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

My Last Ditch Effort for Winter Food

Okay it's warming up so your chance for those hearty, sexy winter dishes are disappearing.  In honor of the end of winter here is my favourite winter recipe.  I know it seems a bit daunting but it is really easy but takes time.  You can actually spread it over a couple of days.  If you can't find Duck confit ask your butcher or you can order it online.  D'artagnan is a good purveyor.  Or if you are really up to it you can make your own. 

 To do that you just mix together 1/2 cup kosher salt, 1 T. Thyme, 1 T. ground white pepper, and 2 ground bay leaves.  Rub that all over 12 12 whole duck legs (including thighs) and place in a large zip top bag with 15 crushed garlic cloves.  Place in fridge for a whole day.  Here the fun part, heat 3 pounds of rendered duck in in a large saucepan.  Meanwhile scrape the salt mixture from the duck legs and rinse off.  Place in a large roasting pan and pour the hot duck fat over.  Cover this with foil and place in a 325 degree oven for 3 1/2 hours till crazy tender.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  It will keep for a couple of months.  Or freeze it and it will last even longer.  Oh and don't throw that duck fat away.  Cook everything in it.  Add it to cereal, ice cream, anything is better with duck fat.  Duck fat rules. 


 

Ingredients

For cassoulet

-1 ½ lb great northern beans, soaked overnight in 4 qts of water

-10 c water

-2 c beef or veal broth

-2 sprigs of parsley

-5 sprigs of thyme

-1/2 t black peppercorns

-2 garlic cloves crushed

-2 cloves

-1 bay leaf

-1 smoked pork shank

-4 duck confit legs

-2 medium onions, diced

-1 large carrot, peeled and diced

-1 celery stalk, diced

-2 minced garlic cloves

- 1 can (14 oz) stewed tomatoes, chopped

 -1 T salt

-3/4 t black pepper

-4 good German sausages, bockwurst, bratwurst, knockwurst, weisswurst, etc.

 

For garlic crumb topping

-2 minced garlic cloves

-1 ½ c fresh bread crumbs, from a baguette

-1 t salt

-1/2 t pepper

-2 T olive oil

-2 T fresh chopped parsley

 

Directions

1.   Remove all skin and fat from duck legs and cut skin and fat into ¼ inch slivers. Separate duck meat from bones, leaving it in large pieces, and transfer meat to a bowl.  Then in the bottom of a large Dutch oven cook the skin and fat until the skin is crispy and the fat is rendered.  Remove skin crackling’s to a separate plate.

2.   Brown sausage in batches in fat in skillet, then transfer to bowl with duck meat, reserving skillet.  When cool cut the sausages into 1 inch pieces.

3.   Transfer beans to the Dutch oven bring to a boil with water, broth, onion, pork shank, confit bones and 2 cloves garlic. Put celery, thyme, bay leaf, cloves, parsley sprigs, and peppercorns in cheesecloth and tie into a bundle with string to make a bouquet garni. Add bouquet garni to beans, and then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until beans are almost tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir in tomatoes with juice and simmer until beans are just tender, about 15 minutes more.

4.   Remove bouquet garni and duck bones from beans and discard, and then stir in sausage, duck meat, remaining salt and pepper.  Ladle cassoulet into casserole dish, distributing meat and beans evenly. (Meat and beans should be level with liquid; if they are submerged, ladle excess liquid back into pot and boil until reduced, then pour back into casserole dish.)

5.   Sauté all of the topping ingredients in a frying pan until golden and then toss with the crackling’s.

6.   Preheat the oven to 350°F and spread the bread crumb topping evenly over cassoulet and bake, uncovered, in lower third of oven, until bubbling and crust is golden, about 1 hour. 

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Cocktails and more cocktails

So of late my new favourite cocktail of late is the Sazerac.  I think Rye whiskey is about to make a big return to form.  The Sazerac consists of the following:

  • 1/2 oz absinthe
  • 2 oz Rye whiskey (I like Van Winkle)
  • 1 sugar cube
  • 4 dashes peychauds bitters
  • 1 lemon twist

Fill a rocksglass with ice and water and set aside.  Place the sugar cube in a second glass and splash with bitters.  Crush the cube with a spoon and pour in the rye.  add ice to the whiskey.  Now dump the ice from the first glass and pour in the absinthe.  Give a good swirl and dump it out.  Now strain the rye into the absinthe washed glass and garnish the the lemon twist.  Now make one for a friend and enjoy.

Also in the coming week we are introducing some new vegetative cocktails at Supper.  You all should come in and check them out.  We have a Rhubarb infuced gin and pepper juice drink and avocade maragarita thing and a sangria made with beet juice.  They sound a bit odd but knowing Theo they should be tasty. 

Friday, March 20, 2009

New link

Unfortunately I can't get the photos from foie week off my card reader but I'll try to get some from one of the other cameras.  But while you wait for photos here is a great link sent to me by Mike Austin.



Check it out.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Foie Detox

So last nights shenanigans are hitting me hard.  I don't know if was the 12 different Foie dishes I tried or the mix or beer, champagne, wine, tequila, Rye whisky and absinthe but today was kind of rough.  I think I'm going to abstain from foie for awhile but is was pretty delicious.  I'm going to post a summary and photos later but let it be said that the foie at Bistot La Minette was out of this world.

As an edition to this post I'm going to include a copy of an email I received that was a response to an open invite to Foie gras week.  Here it is:

Hi there,

Just stumbled on your Craigslist ad by doing a search for "vegan" in community; like yourself, looking for like-minded individuals who might be interested in similar culinary pleasures.  Please understand, this is by no means hate mail, nor an attempt at conversion, just my natural response to your post, and possibly to allow your view of vegans to change...?  We're not all whackados, and although I may be a bit crazy, it's not because I am or why I went vegan.  I am definitely ignorant on some issues, but I am less-so with respect to how food reaches our plates, mainly due to taking an Animal Law class during law school.  Don't get me wrong, before the class my favorite restaurant was Ruth's Chris, but after an information-packed semester, and, more specifically, a very sensible, well-argued speech from a learned scholar in the field, I cut out all animal products pretty much overnight.  If you research and then think about the farming of animals, and, just to begin with, the ecological impact that meat-eating has on our planet, as a college-educated individual, you must be at least a little alarmed.  I won't get into the ethical arguments, especially with respect to foie gras, but, just as an observation, your ad comes off as defensive, and you seem judgmental of others, even as you ask not to be judged.  If you do a quick Google of "why be vegan" or "reasons to be vegan", you'll find some pretty rational, non-propoganda-ish, well-reasoned, scientifically-backed information about the good of it.  Of course, you may not be willing to give up meat, and most people, men in particular, find the idea tough to chew.  Sorry for the (vegan) cheezy pun.  In any case, I hope you have a fabulous day!"


Let me say  that I truly appreciate the tone of this letter. Why can't the people who comment on the message boards plead their case like this?  It's a rational, well thought out response.  And I will admit that, while I have nothing against vegans, I do have a bit of a bias because most of the time I find them on the other end of a bullhorn.  For me, I believe that no one has the right to tell anyone else how they should eat.  If you view eggs as chicken abortions and think eating them is a vile practice, don's eat them.  But don't tell others how to live their lives.  That's all. 

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Foie Gras Week!

Alright all you crazy hipsters tonight is the second annual Foie gras progressive dinner.  If you want to attend it's all starting at Zot at around 6 PM.  From there we will progress to who knows where.  A post will follow with details and photos.  

Thought of the day: Is it bad knowing that this one nights debauchery will likely take at least one year from my life?  But at the same time those are the really shitty years, so who cares.  Oh my poor little heart, it's not going to know what hit it. 

Fun fact:  My background Foie picture, I found it on the protest site for philly foie gras week, thanks suckers!

Welcome Friends and Romans

So here it is, I am finally starting a Blog.  I'm going to use this space to write recipes, review restaurants, bounce ideas and any other evil machinations that come to mind.  I'll certainly toss in the occasional photo, video, shout-out, whatever.  So please read, comment enjoy