Mottmott
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Today's Inquirer reports that Rick's Steaks v. RTM Board is scheduled for June 2, 2008. Rick's Steaks is there til at least then.
Two other possibilities.
1. The existing Board could get over itself and end this by simply offering Rick's Steaks a lease to sign or turn down. Is the market really well served by the board pettily letting this fiasco drag on for another eight months?
2. The new mayor could appoint a new board that respects the tradition of the market by treating long term merchants fairly and that realizes there are better ways to spend the market's funds than squandering them on high-priced lawyers and an easily resolved landlord tenant dispute.
Over seven months of presumably pricey lawyer retention fees would seem to me a high price to pay to evict a merchant, and I really wonder if the money could be better spent on other market improvements to better the market in other ways.
I do notice that there do not seem to be people lined up at the door to fill larger vacant stalls at the market (sans the mini stalls at the former Amy's) and wonder if all this publicity is making potential renters from shying away...
Not to seem like the village idiot (granted it could be because I reside out of state), but where's all this money coming from anyway?
Good question. Here's another question:
I assume no know knows exactly how much this has cost and will yet cost RTM. But perhaps someone (any lawyers out there?) can estimate the likely cost range for this legal fandango.
I have no idea whether potential vendors are steering clear of the market, but I know, irrational as it may be, I seldom shop there anymore.
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^Yes, I've been trying to venture out of my comfort zone lately a bit more because I'm getting more confident in the kitchen.
The cheesemonger only said that it was aged a minimum of 18 months, so I don't know the exact age of the cheese, but I'll ask.
BTW, I read through your incredible Italy adventure. How I wish I could experience something like that!
Pontormo: The castagnaccio just came out of the oven!
What a beautiful cake! Searching around on line, it looks a lot like Batali'se (which has different ingredients) as opposed to some that look dull and dry. Did you use a particular recipe you found or put one together yourself?
I make a simple chestnut cake based on one in Julia della Croce's Veneto, but will explore this decidedly more festive and richer cake.
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SSOH. Service was disappointing last time I was there, but they always do fried well.
About ten years ago, at Snockey's, I received the rudest and most antagonistic service I have ever experienced. I have never returned, nor will I ever return.
For soft shell crabs - the ones served at the Palm are awfully good.
Thanks for the tip about the Palm. I'm planning to get another taste of ssc before the season's over.
Yes the service at Snocky's was just barely inside the realm of indifferent, but what I can't forgive is wasting my time on such a sad rendering of sscrabs. And it's not as if they're exactly cheap there either.
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A report back. Matyson's has terrific soft shell crabs served with a lovely avacado/corn salad. On the flip side run - away - from Snockies. I tried them out too, a trip down auld lang ... No, you can't go there again.
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A little OT, but does anyone know how long they've been there? My folks started going there in the 1940's, maybe earlier!
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Where do you go for the best soft shell crabs?
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Let me preface my comments by saying, I have no dog in this fight. I only shop for cooking purposes at the RTM. Except for Bassetts, I never eat there as I don't much like what I have had in the past.
What do I find strange about this argument over the market's end of the day hours?
If there is such demand for vendors to be open 5-6pm as some posters suggest, why wouldn't these merchants WANT to be available then? They'd get an hours worth of extra business for basically the same overhead costs. This suggests to me that they don't think there'd be enough business to justify being there at that time. I know that people behave irrationally sometimes, but I can't understand why Rick wouldn't benefit from keeping his stand open til 6 unless there's simply not enough business to justify the extra labor costs and scheduling hassle to him. Throw in the tussle with the management over this issue and there's even more benefit to staying open - again, UNLESS, there's no business there for him at that hour.
Also, it's awhile since I shopped there on a an early day of the week, but my memory suggests that the Lancaster Co farmers are totally closed early in then week and their corner of the market is a desert. Perhaps they're a 6-7 day operation now. Are they in contention with management? If veryone's "supposed" to be open, why do they get a pass? It's okay with me, but from a consistency pov, it's a question that should be asked.
Also, some of us sound as if we or the conventioneers will starve if the sandwich stands, etc., aren't open. Are all the other food shops I see lined up and down Arch and other nearby streets closed at 5 pm?
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In Manhattan, we have a few good options, including Broadway Panhandler (I only mention them because they are down the street from me. Others may stand by Bridge Kitchenware or another store).
Actually, however, my favorite kitchen store is Fantes in Philadelphia. I have never been in person, but I love to order from their web site. I usually send my copper there to be re-tinned and I find their product selection to be much better for certain items (particularly copper) than Williams-Sonoma or Sur-la-Table (or many of my NYC options).
You should check Fante's out in person sometime. It is so the opposite from W-S and SLT! It's still a family run business in the Italian Market district in the same location it's always been in. No "life style" here. Everything is crowded out on racks and lining the walls, no high end fixtures to hold the goods, and the same old wooden floor that's always been there, ungraced with either high gloss or tile . Their good service comes not from 20-30-somethings but long time middle aged to elderly (depending on your pov) folks. Soon places like this won't exist.
I think they also have a couple satellite sites. Those might be more yuppied; I haven't seen them.
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... katie, i got it from the farmer's market this past week. $1.50 for a big ol' bunch--probably a pound and a half or so--which, you know, i know it should be free since it's a weed and all, but i can't complain about $1.50. ...
Right; give the guy a break - he did pick it. I've been eyeing that stand more than buying. It makes me feel guilty. I want him to succeed as he brings some interesting things to the market. But I've been too unenergentic to try anything I can't cook (quickly) off the top of my head. Indeed, I'm mostly eating raw these days. -
I would be interested in a list of the majority of merchants that signed the petition supporting Rick's Steaks and Rick Olivieri. I am intentionally shopping at those that did. Unfortunately boycotting the market as a whole hurts the good guys, the merchants, and not the evil-doers, the management.
Saw both the Inquirer and Daily News letters to the editor knocking the quality of Rick's Cheesesteaks. Such a consistent message. And the writer even liked Tony Luke's Jr. Couldn't have better supported the board's position if Kevin Feeley's PR firm was behind both letters.
Don't care one way or another about Rick's or Tony Luke's cheesesteaks. This is about the aloofness and vengeance of the RTM board and management in its treatment of a longtime merchant who has done absolutely nothing wrong - about taking away a family's livelihood for no legitimate reason.
Inquirer editorial board got it wrong too, in their Friday Editorial section. In an editorial entitled "Lawyers and Cheesesteaks" they trivialized the issue into one of who serves a better cheesesteak.
You make a good point about continuing to shop at those merchants who signed the petition.
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My shopping at RTM is pretty much confined to the fresh food stands. When it comes to steak sandwiches? I don't even like them, so I have no opinion as to which steaks are better.
But I do have an opinion of a management that will evict a tenant of 25 years standing whose presence contributed to the building up of the market, particularly if (as it seems) it is in retribution for his activism in the merchant's association. Even if one thought, as I do not, that it might be defensable because a stand did not attract a vigorous clientele, this is one of the busiest stands in the market as far as my casual observation shows.
If they are successful in evicting Rick's, I will more or less boycott RTM, going there only for that rare item I can find nowhere else. As I live in NW Phila, outside CC, over the years I have shopped there more to support a local institution against the food market giants than for its convenience. Between Weavers Way coop, farmers' markets, 9th St, and yes even WholeFoods and TJ's, RTM is pretty much redundant for me. And the parking is worse. I recently watched a show on PBS about Markets around the country: RTM didn't even make the cut! But that show makes me want to check out the market in Baltimore when I go there next. Perhaps instead of spending money on lawyers and consultants to switch one Phila steak shop for another to rid itself of an assertive merchant, management should spend it on checking out what other vibrant markets around the country offer that ours does not.
RTM should keep in mind that people interested in food have other places to go. Unless it is their design to simply turn RTM into a food court for the convention center and destroy a unique historical market. And truth to tell, except for Bassetts, I've never eaten anything while at RTM I'd go out of my way for. Well, I used to like DHDiner before they moved out of the trolley. (All personal taste, no flames, please.)
And can someone explain what's the big deal about someone closing at 5 PM when a substantial part of the market stalls are closed down early in the week? - Not that I suggest they be evicted for that. Just musin'.
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Mottmott,
I am sorry for your loss, and sorry to hear of your personal struggle. I would not wish that on anyone.
Disease process is very individualized, as is treatment. Coping mechanisms are very individualized as well.
Some want to talk, some want to be very quiet. There is nothing wrong with either method of coping with the real world situation.
I am a proponent of listening to the doctor and following the directions of those that dedicate their lives, many years, and deal with the situation day in and day out.
That being said, from my personal experience, they even second guess themselves. My primary, a very aggressive doctor and I love her for it, has discussed her mother's struggle with lung cancer with me. Her mother died of complications to her heart with treatment, and she has tearfully expressed to me her concerns that she might have had her mother with her for five or so years if she had not been treated so aggressively. I must add that I was the first onset of my particular disease process that she has ever seen in over 20 years of practice, and I owe her aggressive treatment of the disease process she saw to my very good prognosis at this time. I still didn't do the steroids and antideppressants after an initial trial - and won't no matter how many times I get medical advice to do so. That is my choice.
So much is out of our hands, and out of our control.
But what we choose to nourish ourselves with is not. It is one of the few areas where we can take action, improve the quality of our lives, and know that it is our choice. Disease, unfortunately, will happen in one manner or another to each of us in our own time. Those who choose to be open and feel the need to talk about personal experiences have every right to do so. Those who choose to not, also have the right to do so.
The nutritionist on staff loves Ensure almost invariably. Through not fault of their own, it is a nutrionally complete diet. You can survive off that stuff.
ETA: I have a very unusual, fortunately for me, relationship with my primary. I am her pet zebra, and as such have her on my speed dial! Your milage may vary.
Anne,
I quite agree with you.
From like causes diverse ends obtain. Written over 300 years ago and yet still apt.
Cancer seems as capricious as it is dangerous. No sense to why one gets it or gets rid of it. I hope optimism plus a good doctor may be a cure, so I'd rather call it a challenge than a struggle, a minor exception, no?
I also hope that a good diet helps to forstall its return: Fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, fish, organic meats and dairy instead of processed factory food. And if not, at least it tastes good. I made a quick tomato sauce tonight from heirloom tomatoes, a splash of white wine, and some olive oil. Amazingly simple, amazingly good.
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Wow, Mottmott,
I'm a bit out of words.
I'm sorry for your loss. I'm also sorry if I inadvertantly caused anyone facing, or anyone who will face, a fear of chemotherapy or any other cancer treatment.
It is indeed, a case by case, one person at a time, decision. My choice is not a "YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary" decision. My choice to start this thread was simply to reminisce about meals lost, not to cause pain or fear.
J.
Jamie, I wasn't directing my remarks at you or anyone in particular. There is a general - and not unreasonable - fear of the treatment of chemo in our society in general. But as someone who has been through it personally and with members of my family, I felt it important to point out how complicated it is. To some extent, I suspect that we redirect our fear of cancer and death to the often arduous and disagreeable effects of the treatment. It's easier to talk about our fears of the treatment than our fears of its failure.
Personally I found it very helpful, when I received my diagnosis, to discuss it with no one other than my children until it was over and looked like I was on a path to at least remission. For me, this helped to keep me positive about my treatment. While I wanted to be business like in dealing with it medically, I wanted to dwell on it as little as possible mentally. I didn't want to talk about it with friends. I didn't want to join any groups. This was my wasy, but I know others would find comfort doing it differently. Everyone is different, this worked for me. I didn't want to fill my mind with the negative chemo/radiation experiences of others. And luckily I had minimal side effects. Others getting the same medicines with similar diagnosis had different experiences.
I simply hope to bring another perspective into the discussion to encourage those facing crucial decisions about their treatment to hope for the best as far as the treatment itself as well as the outcome. I hope no one's fear of treatment leads them to refuse what has a real chance of extending their life in a meaningful way. I understand that some people with advanced cancers may face extreme treatments with extremely poor prognosis may choose to refuse treatment, though even then many can go into extended remission if not cure. What I fear is that others with a better chance of success but who have very high anxiety about pain and discomfort - as in my sister's case - may assume the worst and chose a course less likely to be successful.
Apart from this point, I completely agree it's useful to pay attention to the kinds of food that people undergoing treatment might be able to enjoy. Many cancer centers have dietician on staff who are available to give nutritional information and some cooking classes and recipes. And those of us who do not have cancer can benefit from eating more healthful diets that may help us avoid it.
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I know that some people suffer horribly during their treatment. But cancer is more than one disease and has many treatments accordingly. And people's individual response to the treatment (and the disease) is individual.
Clearly anyone being treated for cancer needs to know there may be a wide variety of side effects (and is rightly interested in learning everything possible about how to deal with them if and when they occur).
But I am concerned that the other side of it is some people being so scared by these accounts of chemo-hell that they put off or even decline to have what may be a life-saving treatment. I say this because my sister at every point of decision chose to fight her breast cancer in the least aggressive way out of fear of the side effects. She made these fears known to her physicians vigorously. (I was present at all her meetings with her doctors so can say this with certainty.) Her fear of the possible painful effects also led her to refuse radiation. Each succeeding treatment was somewhat more aggressive than the last as she gradually lost her battle after 5 years. Had she early on agreed to the most agressive treatment the outcome might have been different. Yes, who knows? But as she lived 5 good quality years with being less agressive, I can't but wonder if she might not have lived much longer if she'd met the disease by beginning with the more aggressive options she'd been given. When sent to one of our area's best oncologists, she presented herself as so obsessively afraid of side effects that he obliquely declined to take her on as a patient.
The sad irony is that none of the 4-5 different drug regimens over those years caused her to have notable side effects beyond hair loss. But the biggest irony? She met each actual physical challenge bravely and uncomplainingly as it happened to her. She met the treatments and even death itself more bravely than she was able to tolerate the idea of the pain that treatment might bring.
I bring this up out of concern that we (or the families) who have the cancer challenge concentrate more on the fear of the treatment than on the fight itself. There are so many variables in both the cancers and their treatments that we must not scare ourselves out of the good years of life we may gain.
It's helpful to share our ways of counteracting any side-effects of treatment. But for the sake of those who might now or in the future face chemo, let's keep in mind that the worst effects are not inevitable. We should not scare ourselves to death as I believe my sister may have done.
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On an optimistic note, not everyone suffers during chemo. First. There are different drugs administered for different cancers. Second. They now have anti-nausea drugs that can be administered prior to the chemo that at least mitigate the effects.
Some time back I underwent chemo/radiation simultaneously and was fortunate enough to have little more than moderate fatigue some of the time. Hair loss was a minor, temporary inconvenience for me. The plus side, when it grew back it was thicker than before.
And I have known someone who had several different chemos as followup to a mastectomy. Only the last chemo treatment caused her to lose her hair. As far as I'm aware none of them interferred with her appetite.
So, while many do have bad side effects from chemo, do not assume that you will for not everyone does.
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Just to update: As I liked the flavor of the pudding and the contrast between the two elements, I tried it again using a new batch of rice, stirring a bit more and cooking the rice pudding about 20 minutes longer than called for. The pudding was less liquidy this time. I think using light cream rather than half and half would also make it tighter, but I think I'll keep it this way and skip the extra calories.
I went online and checked out a variety of rice pudding recipes and it seems that those from Asia tend to have a similar rice:liquid ratio.
I had a problem with The Turkish Rice and Rose Water Pudding. I hope Ann will have the answer to the problem I had.As I'm still in recovery mode from a hip operation, I thought I'd treat myself to the comfort of the Turkish Rice and Rose Water Pudding. And it looked less demanding than most other recipes, not calling for lifting hot things from the oven. As I have a stool in the kitchen, hanging around to stir from time to time did not present a problem
I followed the recipe exactly, using the half and half for the Turkish Rice recipe. To my surprise it turned out to be a liquidy gruel, not "creamy and loose." The Rose-Water Pudding didn't "gel" completely, but was acceptably thinckened. I like rosewater flavor, so the dessert's flavor was agreeably subtle and suited what I was looking for in my present frame of mind.
The problem was the texture/consistency. I assume there is supposed to be some sort of pleasant interplay between the texture of the two elements.
Two possiblilities:
1. There's a misprint. The recipe as written calls for only 1/3 cup basmati rice to 2 quarts of half and half. This strikes me as a strange ratio for a rice pudding, but I tend to follow a recipe exactly the first time.
2. Sometimes grains and beans behave weirdly if they are too old.
I did test and retest this recipe.
It does sound like a lot of liquid to the rice but as I stirred it and stirred some more, it thickened and I was really happy with the texture. And the topping of the rose water pudding seemed to marry well with it. I don't know what to tell you here, it may be my taste for these thick kind of porridgey sort of textures. It was liquidy, but the rice was cooked. I would say that you picked a recipe that needs a bit more stirring than you may have been up for. The recipe I like even better is the Red and White Parfait on page 200. Hope I shed some light here.
Ann
Thanks for your response. Don't misunderstand. I thought I had done something wrong. The taste was lovely and I will probably make it again as I love rose flavoring. When I discovered how liquidy it turned out, I plated it more like a soup than a pudding, adding a few candied cherries in syrup I'd made with the last of this year's local sour cherries. It was pretty as well as delicately luscious. The pudding which did thicken gave it mouth feel. And I particularly like desserts that depend on flavor rather than cloying sweetness.
I think the rice may not have been as fresh and didn't give off as much starch. The rice cream never coated the back of the spoon enough to make a trail in it. I actually set the timer for each stage to be sure I didn't short time it; then when it looked so liquidy, cooked it a bit more. (In fact, I pulled out some of the rice and smashed it into a paste to stimulate thickening.) Could I have not have had the heat high enough? I used a diffuser to be sure not to burn the half and half.
I'm looking forward to other confections. I am happy to see that you not only give weight measurements, but that you specify which chocolates you use in some of your recipes. I usually buy the Valrhona guanaja in 3 kilo pkgs, but next time I'll get the Caribe as I'm lplanning to try some of your cakes. It's also helpful to see Pouilly Fuisse, not just white wine, and particular brands of sherry rather than a generic term, etc. I believe in doing it your way as near as possible the first time; alterations, if any, after. And lastly, thanks for not making an outsized coffee table book.
When I made this, the pudding really did thicken, so it's possible that the rice was different enough that there was a problem, although it's hard to figure. But I do know that there are so many variables. For instance, in the Wellington and Vanilla Nut cookies, I call for almond paste, and specifically NOT Marzipan. But when I demonstated the Wellingtons in a different area of the country, the only Almond Paste they had for me was Solo brand. And the sugar content was higher than the almond, making it more like marzipan. So the cookie really looked different. I used AA Almond paste for testing purposes and the difference was marked. And Solo was an Almond Paste. So all of this factors in. But just know how much I appreciate your trying the book and the recipes and any guidance or help, don't hesitate to ask.
Thanks,
Ann
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Those look wonderful, Pille... That crust looks super-buttery.
My aunt/godmother came in from Canada, and she's an excellent baker, so my mom asked me to make something to show off. I didn't want to repeat, so I made Black Forest, based on the Chocolate Rhapsody recipe of Flo Braker (in The Simple Art. It was the biggest mess I've ever made in the kitchen. That mousse would not stay firm for more than a few minutes (the climate, y'know... next time: gelatin?), and the top layer actually broke into three while I was flipping it because I'm hard-headed and I wanted to use a chocolate butter cake whose time had come instead of a reasonable genoise/ sponge (next time: genoise). I cemented it together with extra chocolate mousse. I hope I hid it well. It says "Gateau Schwarzwalder" on top for no good reason except to misguidedly mash two languages together (next time: er, nothing). The stars on top have crazy bloom on them, so they're all different colors (next time: stick to cherries?).
p.s. some of you may remember my woes regarding whipped cream. The rosettes there are made with the local UHT cream spiked with stabilizers. I guess I'm happy with it?
Edited to: change Flor Braker to Flo. She's not a Filipino!!
I'm sure your repairs went unnoticed. But you forgot to tell us how it tastes. As good as it looks?
I made a Turkish rosewater rice & custard pudding from Ann Amernick's The Art of Dessert. The Turkish rice turned out more liquidy than I thought it should, so I plated it up like a dessert soup prettied up with a couple local sour cherries from the farmers' market that I had candied in syrup using a Lebovitz recipe. It's really good if (as I do) you like rosewater and subtle flavored desserts that are not cloyingly sweet.
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I had a problem with The Turkish Rice and Rose Water Pudding. I hope Ann will have the answer to the problem I had.
As I'm still in recovery mode from a hip operation, I thought I'd treat myself to the comfort of the Turkish Rice and Rose Water Pudding. And it looked less demanding than most other recipes, not calling for lifting hot things from the oven. As I have a stool in the kitchen, hanging around to stir from time to time did not present a problem
I followed the recipe exactly, using the half and half for the Turkish Rice recipe. To my surprise it turned out to be a liquidy gruel, not "creamy and loose." The Rose-Water Pudding didn't "gel" completely, but was acceptably thinckened. I like rosewater flavor, so the dessert's flavor was agreeably subtle and suited what I was looking for in my present frame of mind.
The problem was the texture/consistency. I assume there is supposed to be some sort of pleasant interplay between the texture of the two elements.
Two possiblilities:
1. There's a misprint. The recipe as written calls for only 1/3 cup basmati rice to 2 quarts of half and half. This strikes me as a strange ratio for a rice pudding, but I tend to follow a recipe exactly the first time.
2. Sometimes grains and beans behave weirdly if they are too old.
I did test and retest this recipe.
It does sound like a lot of liquid to the rice but as I stirred it and stirred some more, it thickened and I was really happy with the texture. And the topping of the rose water pudding seemed to marry well with it. I don't know what to tell you here, it may be my taste for these thick kind of porridgey sort of textures. It was liquidy, but the rice was cooked. I would say that you picked a recipe that needs a bit more stirring than you may have been up for. The recipe I like even better is the Red and White Parfait on page 200. Hope I shed some light here.
Ann
Thanks for your response. Don't misunderstand. I thought I had done something wrong. The taste was lovely and I will probably make it again as I love rose flavoring. When I discovered how liquidy it turned out, I plated it more like a soup than a pudding, adding a few candied cherries in syrup I'd made with the last of this year's local sour cherries. It was pretty as well as delicately luscious. The pudding which did thicken gave it mouth feel. And I particularly like desserts that depend on flavor rather than cloying sweetness.
I think the rice may not have been as fresh and didn't give off as much starch. The rice cream never coated the back of the spoon enough to make a trail in it. I actually set the timer for each stage to be sure I didn't short time it; then when it looked so liquidy, cooked it a bit more. (In fact, I pulled out some of the rice and smashed it into a paste to stimulate thickening.) Could I have not have had the heat high enough? I used a diffuser to be sure not to burn the half and half.
I'm looking forward to other confections. I am happy to see that you not only give weight measurements, but that you specify which chocolates you use in some of your recipes. I usually buy the Valrhona guanaja in 3 kilo pkgs, but next time I'll get the Caribe as I'm lplanning to try some of your cakes. It's also helpful to see Pouilly Fuisse, not just white wine, and particular brands of sherry rather than a generic term, etc. I believe in doing it your way as near as possible the first time; alterations, if any, after. And lastly, thanks for not making an outsized coffee table book.
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I don't eat a lot of meat anymore, so when I do I want it to taste like something. And I want it free of antibiotics and hormones. So nowadays I either get my meat from a butcher who has such meat or, at least from Whole Foods. I am also picky about it, choosing exactly the steak that has the marbling I like. I'd rather eat well marbled beef less often than unsatisfactory beef often.
I dislike meat that has been frozen. It seems to me that alters the texture. This is a disadvantage for me as I'd like to use the organic, grassfed meat that is now available. However, it usually comes prepackaged in amounts to large for singles and/or frozen.
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I had a problem with The Turkish Rice and Rose Water Pudding. I hope Ann will have the answer to the problem I had.
As I'm still in recovery mode from a hip operation, I thought I'd treat myself to the comfort of the Turkish Rice and Rose Water Pudding. And it looked less demanding than most other recipes, not calling for lifting hot things from the oven. As I have a stool in the kitchen, hanging around to stir from time to time did not present a problem
I followed the recipe exactly, using the half and half for the Turkish Rice recipe. To my surprise it turned out to be a liquidy gruel, not "creamy and loose." The Rose-Water Pudding didn't "gel" completely, but was acceptably thinckened. I like rosewater flavor, so the dessert's flavor was agreeably subtle and suited what I was looking for in my present frame of mind.
The problem was the texture/consistency. I assume there is supposed to be some sort of pleasant interplay between the texture of the two elements.
Two possiblilities:
1. There's a misprint. The recipe as written calls for only 1/3 cup basmati rice to 2 quarts of half and half. This strikes me as a strange ratio for a rice pudding, but I tend to follow a recipe exactly the first time.
2. Sometimes grains and beans behave weirdly if they are too old.
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Today was the second week for the Headhouse Square Farmers' Market and I was there.
...The number of merchants seemed about the same as last week, but like then, there were a number of spots that were posted as space for a particular vendor, but no one was there. Perhaps I arrived too early (10 a.m., the market's opening hour) or perhaps they were no-shows.
I think some of those vendors only come one day of the two. Northstar, for example will only be there on Sundays. Lisa says they have a market elsewhere on Saturday, so they only come to Phila on Thurs and Sunday. Also, NS's veggies are organically grown, even though the tree fruits aren't.
And my favorite for greens, Sommerdale, won't be at HHSq at all, though they will be at Fairmount on Thurs.
I find there IS a quality difference among the vendors on many items. Over the course of the week I bought cherries from 3 different vendors. Northstar's were so much better than the others'! The sour cherries still had the stems and kept very well. I also like the way they have - and label - several varieties of the different fruits.
Has anyone tried the flatbreads yet? They looked tempting, but I needed a regular loaf. It was okay, but I've been spoiled by Metropolitan.
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It's a shame to eliminate pork as you can greatly expand your repetoire and get lots of meals-for-two type recipes. I don't want to convert you to a food you don't like, but if dryness is your only issue, there's a solution. Brining. (It will also improve your chicken, too.) It's really easy.
There are very many brine variations, some of which add more flavors, but they are all basically soaking the pork in half kosher salt, half sugar in water (sometimes more sugar). Good for chops, roasts, etc. And be sure not to overcook: 145-155f on the thermometer depending on how nervous the idea of pork makes you, and allow 7-20 minutes resting time depending on how large the piece of meat is. (Brining will also greatly improve most fowl as well.)
But as a solo diner, one of my favorite pork recipes, even without brining as it cooks so quickly and is protected:
--Get a boneless loin chop (or bone it out yourself if it's cheaper). I try to keep my meat at 3-4 oz per meal, so I get a single chop about 3/4- 1" thick, have it halved horizontally.
--Then I pound it as thin as possible without breaking it up. Flour it, dip it in beaten egg, then into Japanese bread crumbs (panko) which are very light. If they are unavailable to you, freshly make crumbs in the processor. Under no circumstances will I use commercial dried crumbs.
--I usually serve this with some sort of homemade salsa or relish. When I'm lazy, I use a peach salsa trader joe carries.
A whole pork tenderloin or a small piece of loin is a perfect size for two, so try brining to see if it doesn't change your experience with pork.
Pork is perfect for stuffing and works well with lots of flavors. There are endless variations: fruit, herbs, olives, capers, whatever ethnic style you fancy. One of my favoite meals since childhood is a chop with a pocket filled with a simple bread, sauteed onion and celergy, egg bound stuffing. For a special dinner, try one of the many recipes for dried fruit stuffed pork.
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And the good news is that a cup of raw cherries is about 80 calories.
After I scarfed up about a quart of them over the course of a day, panic set in about how many colories I'd eaten. How delightful to find that they are not only delicious but a guilt free treat.
I've been getting them from the farmers markets. I've discovered that the orchard that grows my favorite white peaches and apples later in the season also produces the hands down best cherries, too. They've been running 5/6 per qt.
I used some of the sour cherries to make ice cream, deliberately choosing a recipe that seemed unusual - just heavy & light cream, cherries poached in syrup, then pureed, then folded into the beaten cream. UGH. It was worth trying something different if only confirm there's a reason that was an unusual recipe.
OT: heirloom tomatoes are showing up too.
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(I'm feeling kinda lonely in this topic
)Tonight was the Orange Frangiapane Tart. This is an almond cream filling with Grand Marnier, glazed with apricot. I tried two different decorations on top and prefer the almonds.
Beautiful. Don't give up. I've ordered the book from the library (to look it over carefully before buying it).
I really like cakes where nuts take the place of all or part of the flour. Does she have some of those? I always feel less guilty if I'm getting my Omega-3's while I indulge my sweet tooth.
Trader Joe's Artisan Puff Pastry
in Pastry & Baking
Posted
Check with them again, I checked center city before going there today to make sure it's in the store. It's there.