MarketStEl

Savory cheesecake? I must have the recipe!

Make sure your assessment is correct before altering the recipe, Katie. Besides "New Coke," "Edge City," a comic strip that runs in The Philadelphia Inquirer that features the adventures of the Ardins, a Jewish family in a Silicon Valleyesque setting, offered another cautionary tale this past Passover. The storyline involved the family's seder, to which Mr. Ardin's mother always brought brisket. Mrs. Ardin, wanting to put her own stamp on the occasion, discouraged Mother-in-Law from bringing any this year. Hubby went along more or less willingly. Comes the first night of Passover and Mom Ardin offers her meal. Throughout the traditional recitation--"Why is this night different from all other nights?"--the children register their dissatisfaction--"Because there's no brisket!" Finally, MiL confesses that she snuck some in, and the kids shout for joy. Now, you know your own family best, so this situation may not apply in your case. But one tampers with tradition at one's peril.

These are distinct but related issues, so I'm combining them in this one post. I've come to understand from hanging out here long enough that the true mark of culinary sophistication is to appreciate subtle flavorings and seasonings. The interplay of hints of an herb or spice with the main ingredients, if I understand this argument correctly, is what sets fine food apart from its coarser cousins. Saffron, so I've been told, is one of those subtle seasonings. A few strands is all one needs to impart not only a yellow color, but also a touch of bitterness, to a dish. Too much, the woman who sold me a $1 bag of saffron (yes, you read that correctly; it was about .25 gram) at the Spice Corner told me, and your dish will become too bitter. So I added about seven threads of saffron to the 1/2 cup of rice I made last night. Sure enough, that was all I needed to produce a deep yellow color in the rice. But where was the flavoring? Adding nothing else to the rice but that, I got rice so bland that I wondered what the salesclerk was talking about. I generally cook with little or no salt because my partner needs to watch his sodium intake. But I wonder whether the flavor of saffron--if indeed it has any--isn't something that needs the presence of another seasoning--salt, say--to bring out. However, I have learned that it's not necessary to use a heavy hand with the seasonings to balance flavors in a dish. That's no small achievement for someone who has been accustomed to liberally dousing food in sauces, turning his fried potatoes orange with the Old Bay and seasoned salt, and preparing five-alarm chili. So last night I prepared linguine (sorta) Florentine with mussels. I say "sorta" because I used melted butter flavored with garlic instead of cream sauce. To half a pound of pasta, a one-pound bag of mussels and a one-pound bag of thawed frozen spinach I added two whole sticks of melted butter (1/4 pound or one cup) in which I had simmered (too much butter to call this sauteing) five minced garlic cloves. The resulting dish tasted just fine to me--a nice interplay between the butter, garlic, spinach and mussels. A friend I served it to begged to differ. "Make me a plate and add butter and garlic," he said. "But both are already in there," I replied. "I used two whole sticks." "It's too dry," he said. And, apparently, not garlicky enough. I understand that garlic fiends can't get enough of the stuff and that butter is a great seasoning. But isn't there a point where it becomes overkill?

The phrase I once read to describe felafel was "Israel's answer to the hamburger." I asked Swisskaese over on her foodblog (currently in progress in General Food Topics) whether she made her own. Her reply was that there are so many good felafel stands everywhere in Israel that there was no point in making your own. I've had felafel before and liked it, so I'll have to give this place a try.

That was a hilarious episode, indeed--especially all the cattiness on the judges' part. (I forget the third judge's name, too, but she co-hosts the third hour of the Today Show on NBC--a job she will give up, I presume, when Meredith Viera comes on board in about a month.) For the viewer who was bummed by "Battle Hamburger" (which I will have to catch in reruns): Actually, one of the things I like about ICA is that they are using "secret ingredients" most of the viewers are familiar with and can possibly imagine themselves working with, though not necessarily at the level of the battling chefs. It's clear to me from the Food Network's promos for the show that they'd like to see their viewers aping the "Iron Chef" concept for fun*, and I don't think they'd get too many takers if the chefs were working with eel or fish heads or some of the exotic stuff the Japanese original showcased. *Certainly Throwdown with Bobby Flay is more evidence that they are trying to turn Iron Chef into a cottage industry.

Before weighing in on the main topic: What's an Italian coffee house chain doing with a German name? Now on to my own comments: • I too miss Millennium and agree that the Village Coffee House (which my bedroom window overlooks) is not its equal, even though they strive mightily to fill the "nonalcoholic gayborhood meeting place" role that Millennium used to own. Persistent rumors have it that another coffee shop is going to fill the old Millennium spot, but I will discount all of these until I see a "Coming Soon" sign in the window... ...like the one announcing yet another Starbucks at the northwest corner of 12th and Walnut, cater-corner from Così. As a friend and fellow PGMC member will manage this store, I guess I will have to stop in from time to time--but for tea, not coffee. (Starbucks' house brand of tea, Tazo, is actually very good.) • If we're talking about a comfortable atmosphere to hang out in, Così has this down to a science. The only drawback is that to enjoy it, you then have to pay more than it's worth for merely okay coffee and decent but not fabulous food on admittedly tasty bread. • Confidential to gabe: I think that once it's officially open, Rim will also be a comfortable place to hang out in that also serves a great shot of espresso. (I can hear it now: "I'm going down the lane for a Rim shot.") La Colombe is their house coffee, and it tasted to me like René knows how to brew it. See my heads-up post on this board.

1) Would the Ethiopians running this shop (I'm assuming that this is the case) be some of the "falashas"--the Ethiopian Jews that Israel welcomed when civil war erupted in that country? 2) "Yehuda" I know. "Mahane" is...? All that noise must get to you after a while, I imagine.

I think that no one who has participated in this discussion shares the view of the upset reader, not even those of us who have argued that overuse of profanity (a) drains it of its vigor (b) is a sign of sloppy thinking or lack of intelligence. Profanity does have its place in writing for publication, and any publication aimed at an audience of adults should be free to print expletives when and as they see fit. The ultimate decision rests with the editors. As for the general point about profanity when talking or writing about food, I have a question for all of you: Why is drinking American beer like making love in a canoe?

Eight months later... The "space available" sign still hangs from the construction enclosure around what was to have been Sushi Nation. Meanwhile, two blocks to the south, a "Tenant Obtained" sign hangs over the former laundromat at the corner of 12th and Spruce, which now sports a liquor license application on the door. There's been some discussion of the restaurant that is supposed to go into this space, but as of now, nothing other than discussion has happened. Across 12th, the windows over the former Cheap Art Cafe remain blacked out, and the liquor license application that had been in one of them has vanished. Persistent rumors about a new restaurant opening in this space--It'll be run by the folks who run the Plough and Stars! No, make that the Black Sheep! (Well, they did open Lula.)--have died down. But the video store that occupied the corner storefront has completely decamped to the second floor of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows headquarters. What will happen next? Inquiring minds want to know. Stay tuned. I wonder whether anyone who ought to be paying attention to these sorts of things bothered to read this discussion or the article in Philadelphia Weekly that referenced it. Center City has been gaining residents by leaps and bounds, but the jobs haven't followed them. Small businesses like these restaurants are an important source of new jobs, and if Paul's experience is any guide, The Way We Do Things Around Here may be keeping them from being created. Not to mention depriving us of some wonderful meals.

I recall reading somewhere that felafel is "Israel's answer to the hamburger." Is it? I assume you make your own? And is it possible to tour Golda Meir's kitchen? I'm glad you're carrying on with your blog as planned. P.S. Don't forget the fridge shot.

This has been a wonderful blog, and I now have a few more recipes to try. Thanks for sharing some of your life with us, and giving us a Muscovite's-eye-view of the Russian capital today. It's a lot more interesting and colorful than we've been led to believe in the States.

Yesterday, as I was heading back up from the Ak-a-me, I got a sneak preview of a charming little French coffeehouse that will open soon just up from Cheesesteak Corner. It's called Rim Café--a little piece of the Riviera at the tip of the not-all-that-Italian-anymore Market. The owner, a fellow named René, has transformed the former Middle Eastern grocery at the northwest corner of 9th and Wharton into a warm and surprisingly comfortable space, with plants and bric-a-brac in the windows and lots of his own photo posters of the Riviera all over the place. René--a native of the Riviera--has been in the States for about 8 months (his wife is American). I didn't ask whether he opened this place out of homesickness or not, but it does seem that he is genuinely interested in sharing a taste of the Cote d'Azur with Philadelphia. For my trouble--and my obvious curiosity, as I was definitely scoping the place with the "Opening Soon!" sign outside the open door--I got a demitasse of really good French roast espresso, which he also offered to some passersby as we talked, and a chance to scrape the barnacles off the French I learned in high school. He will be using (what else?) La Colombe coffee in his shop, which will start out with coffee, cold beverages and pastries. He plans to expand his menu quickly to include sandwiches on genuine French bread. It looks like he also might show films from time to time--there was a DVD of a French film ready to play on the big-screen TV behind the coffee bar. This place shows a lot of promise, and René is a very charming fellow. If you're in the area and the door's open, poke your head in and tell René I sent you. Rim Café 9th and Wharton streets Phone number not yet known René plans to operate 24/7 once he opens Nearest SEPTA service: Bus Route 47 southbound to 8th and Wharton (walk one block west) or Bus Route 47M northbound to 9th and Wharton (it's right on the corner).

I've now made my pilgrimage to Five Guys, and I'd definitely go back. If the cholesterol and fat I consumed yesterday don't kill me first, my doctor and nurse probably will when they find out. I actually got a bonus burger when I went: I guess they had put too many patties on the grill, and so one of the counter clerks called out "Free burger! Who wants a free burger?" That one I had slathered with onions and mushrooms, a departure for me. My opinion of the burgers is that they are gloriously messy and pretty good. The one thing they need to do to make them really good is stop cooking them well done. At least they are not well done to the point of dryness. But the fries? Exactly what fries should be. And lots of them, too. Still, as "fast food" burgers go, these stand above the crowd. Only Wendy's comes even remotely close, and they're well behind these guys.

I am not sure.....it has something to do with germans and immigrants, I wish I knew the whole story, but I know someone who could probably tell you......Jaymes is the one with the BBQ history knowledge. Unfortunately, I'm not as schooled on BBQ history elsewhere, other than Texas, so don't know about the sausage thing. I do think that the popularity of "hot links" (which, TexNewMex, is what you have to call that kind of sausage if you're gonna be a Texas boy, as that distinguishes it from the patties, etc., you get at breakfast) in Central Texas is, as you say, due in large measure to the Germans and Czechs that settled the area. But the African-American-owned joints also often feature sausage, so I suspect it's fairly universal. Interesting question. And sorry to say that I don't know the answer. ← Actually, it's not universal. I've yet to run across a barbecue joint either here or in Kansas City that barbecues sausage. Philly I wouldn't put too much stock in--such 'cue traditions as exist around here are all imports--but the absence of sausage from KC 'cue is significant. Ribs, yes. Brisket, yes. Chicken, yes. Burnt ends? A Kansas City specialty and just about unique to the place. Sausage? Nope. I suspect that this is the unique contribution of the Germans to Texas barbecue.

Before I really chime in--I just took in the entire thread after avoiding it for some weird reason, and now that I've taken it in, I have to say: This ranks as The Single Best Delurk in eGullet History. Fabulous trip, great narrative, and I wish I had been along for the ride only because I can't taste any of what you had from this distance. You know what?.....It really is Great!.......Honestly, I had my doubts....I use to ask myself what the hubbub was all about and now that I have seen it, smelled it, tasted it and experienced the smoke the heat and met the people who create it.......I can say that they make something very special down there.....it may sound cheesy, but its true. I think its like that all over the US........I bet on the coast in Maine it’s the same with, maybe......... Lobster Rolls .......I bet there are tons of places to have one and each place is unique in its own way, the cuisine is probably steeped in as much tradition as Texas BBQ. and I am sure the south.....Memphis, KC, Atlanta, NC have something to say about the subject also. ← You had asked back at the start of this thread: Regions? Probably not. And I doubt you will find anywhere else in the country with as much good BBQ per capita as the towns you visited. But a trip to Kansas City--it's only 600 miles up I-35--will reward you with a slew of excellent places, including lots of well-known ones (Arthur Bryant's, Gates', Rosedale, Fiorella's Jack Stack) and others that have made a name for themselves lately (Oklahoma Joe's), all in a single metropolitan area. KC being a rather sprawling metropolis, you may end up doing as much driving there as you did on this trip, but you won't be covering as much territory. As big cities go, none rival Kansas City for outstanding 'cue, and I don't care what they think in Memphis. And speaking of unique local cuisine: Do they really call them hoagies out your way? --Sandy "Hog Island Shipyard no longer exists--it's now Philadelphia International Airport--but the sandwich it made famous lives on" Smith Edited to add: Speaking of great writing and vivid imagery, I've got to commit to memory your phrase "napalm summer breeze". We've had more than a few of these up here in the humid Delaware Valley^W^WGreater Philadelphia region this summer.

In four flavors: up, down, strange and charm. ← Six! Top and bottom too. ← Good catch! Though truth be told, I'd much rather chow down on pulled quark sandwiches.

A number of people who have both heard me speak and read my writing say that I speak like I write. But I realize that I'm a statistical outlier. As with a subject closely related to the use of profanity--in fact, many of the expletives in question describe aspects of it--it's often more exciting when you allude to it rather than expose it all. So count me in with Jaymes and Andrew (and a few others who have argued that expletives should be used only with care, judgement, and understanding of the context), and let's eat already.

FTR, I think there is a slight distinction between bowdlerization and censorship--and I think that saying f--- instead of fuck is such a mild form of bowdlerization that I don't see why anyone should get upset over it. Most readers know what word is being alluded to, so no meaning is altered. I too find overuse of profanity both tiresome and usually indicative of a lack of imagination, creativity, and oftentimes intelligence. Expletives are like spices--they should be used judiciously to enhance the flavor of a sentence or add a little pungency, such as when you've rambled on and on and on ad infinitum about something and quite likely put your reader to sleep with a bunch of droning, lugubrious, overwrought prose that says a lot about nothing, and after you've gone on in this fashion for, say, oh, about ten pages or so, you figure it's time to check to see if your readers are fuckin' paying attention. (Edited to properly place expletive)

See Post #502 in this topic.

In four flavors: up, down, strange and charm.

Having gotten at least four confirmations, Thursday, Aug. 17 is a go. We will meet at 7 p.m. at Wolf Street Pizza, 2135 Wolf Street. Itinerary, once again, is as in Post 109. Dorine--Don't give up hope. I'll try to schedule the next one on a day when you can make it. IIRC, weekends don't work for you?

I think the former must have been the source of my gender confusion. Like Coors beer, Sandy's hamburgers were something you could buy on the Kansas side of the metropolitan area but not the Missouri side. But come to think of it, I really liked and miss Smaks, Kansas City's hometown fast-food burger chain.

A friend of mine chided me gently for preparing a dish in a wok that had a thick sauce, which meant that it would simmer rather than stir-fry. Didn't bother me one bit. The dish tasted just fine when it was done. As did the one I made that used fresh tomatoes, which meant the mixture made its own sauce.

Random comments without quotes for reference--I'll just assume you all are following along and know what I'm referring to: --"Il Patio": Is the fare at this chain Italian (given the use of the definite article here)? It looks kinda-sorta-Californian-crossed-with-Scandinavian in design. --"Eskimo bars" and the confection that was described as "frozen cream cheese" sound like two different desserts, judging from a subsequent post. If the "Eskimo" bar is not the same thing as the American Eskimo Pie, it sure sounds like it is. But this frozen cream cheese dessert sounds delightful. Wanna take one for the team and try one and tell us what it tastes like? Frozen cheesecake, perhaps? --The traditional stores, it appears, are also much better stocked than I imagine they must have been in Soviet days. (I remember a bunch of jokes that Russians used to tell back in Communist days; the most relevant one here is probably "When Communism comes to the Sahara Desert, there will be a shortage of sand.") And the produce looks gorgeous! Locally grown or shipped in from some distant point? --The proliferation of kiosks, I imagine, is also an outgrowth of the economic transformation. But I can't recall any other large city where they appear so plentiful. How did they come to be so common? That street leading to your Metro station resembles a carnival midway, there are so many kiosks. Do they all sell foodstuffs? (I thought the "Milky Rivers" place was a small drugstore in the distance shot you first posted.) --Do any Russians grumble about the explosion of Roman-alphabet lettering all over the place? --As someone else also mentioned the Moscow Metro in passing, I will simply note that for any of you who have never seen pictures of a station (I have), the Moscow subway is like no other on the planet. Begun in 1935 as a Stalinist showcase, its stations are palatial, with ornate chandeliers, marble walls and elaborate mosaics celebrating Soviet achievements.

Damn and here I am thinking I had this great discovery. I am so out of the loop . ← I'm wondering how long the original has been there? I remember it around 1994 and even then, you could tell it had probably been there for at least a decade. ← Early 1980s, IIRC. I moved to Philly in 1983 and originally settled in two blocks west of the Foodery, which was already in existence.