KatieLoeb

On my way back from an errand in South Philly today, I found myself hungry and driving right by Sarcone's Deli. Here's what I got: A small Sarcone's Roasted Turkey Special. Roast Turkey, sharp Provolone, roasted red pepper spread and sauteed spinach. Very tasty. My cats were screaming at my feet because the turkey smelled so good. They all got a little bite too.

Oooohh yes! Carolyn mentioned one of my all time favorites - Steak Diane, prepared tableside or not, as long as it ends up on my plate! Lobster Thermidor, Beef Wellington, Baked Alaska, all that old cruise ship and country club food from back in the day needs to make a comeback, but lightened up and tweaked so it's modern. That could actually make for a very interesting menu concept.

As the weather cools, my thoughts turn from Tequila and grapefruit concoctions or Ti Punch variations to brandy, bourbon and rye. 2 oz. tequila 1/2 oz. Marco Polo Sour Cherry syrup Fresca or Wedge grapefruit soda wedge of lime Build drink over ice and stir gently. Garnish with lime wedge. 2 oz. rhum agricole wedge of lime 1/2 Tablespoon or so of cane syrup (better) or demerara simple syrup (will do in a pinch) Pour rhum over ice, add syrup, squeeze lime and stir.

The Manischewitz and/or Lipton's Onion soup mix is great stuff for: The ubiquitous "Breath-'o-Death" Party chip dip. Making brisket or pot roasts or any long slow cooked beef dish in the crockpot like stew. Mixed with red wine as a London Broil marinade. Mixing into meat loaf mixture or meatball mix. Using to flavor pan drippings for gravy. Sprinkle a little into some fresh lemon juice to baste a roasting chicken or turkey. Pam - can you share the Oven Baked Fried Rice recipe? Sounds pretty good!

V: I almost went to GIWA today but ended up at Bootsie's instead, mostly because I wasn't certain they were definitely open yet. Glad to hear they are, and even more so that it's good. Will mos def meet you over there soon for some good Korean. Sounds excellent!

Goya bottles a respectable version of those tiny pickled peppers, vinegar spout top and all. Have a bottle in my fridge currently. ← What he said. I just saw the Goya peppers in vinegar at El Jarochito Mexican grocery at Swanson & Wolf in South Philly this afternoon and made a mental note to find this thread and let you know. They also had big jars of pickled piquin peppers (little tiny hot peppers and sliced carrots in vinegar) of the El Gallito brand as well. These items are both in the hot sauce aisle. El Jarochito has the cheapest limes in the city. 10/$1!! They also sell my favorite cleanser - Fabuloso - in several different scents.

I made it over to Bootsie's today too. Mr. Butz and I realized we knew each other from way back when I worked for a certain wine shop in NJ. Small world - even smaller town. I had an organic beef dog with the spinach and garlic topping and a little schmear of mustard. Outstanding! I'm also a fan of the fresh limeade and my fries were twice fried and delicious. I'm told they've had lines out the door at times and am not surprised. This is great fast food, made with high quality ingredients. And they're open late. This beats the hell out of Lorenzo's pizza or either Passyunk Avenue cheesesteak for a when-the-bars-get-out snack. Service today was vastly improved over my last visit. Friendly and efficient. I was offered a taste of one of the toppings I inquired about. Nice.

Counterintuitively, acidic foods need an acidic wine to balance them. Try a sip of Sauvignon Blanc with a vinaigrette dressed salad some time and you'll see what I mean. In wine/food pairing 1+1 does not equal 2. 1+1=0. The acidity sort of cancels each other out rather than being screechingly sour.

I stopped in at International Smokeless Barbeque (600 Washington Avenue) for some takeout on the way home earlier this week and had a Curried Duck and Noodle soup that was outstanding and very well spiced. Coconut milk based with a spicy yellow curry, noodles and pieces of duck leg. Came with the usual side of bean sprouts and lime wedges to jazz it up. Very tasty and something that will be even better as the cold weather sets in.

Percy: We've come to expect nothing short of brilliance from you and you never disappoint us.

Woo hoo! Just had my first Hosui pear too! **Happy Dance** They are crisp, incredibly juicy and delicious. The best fruit in the whole fruit world. Yum! I just went to the Headhouse Market and bought a bag of pears and a bag of two kinds of peaches. Awesome!

Tonight's effort. A riff off of Ti Punch with the Rhum Clement samples I'm playing with of late: Martinique Martini: 2 oz. Rhum Clement White Rhum agricole Canne Bleu .5 oz. Clement Creole Shrub .25 oz. Cane syrup .25 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice dash Fee Brother's Orange Flower water Flamed Orange peel. Shake together first five ingredients over ice until well chilled. Pour into a well chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a flamed orange peel.

well, no problem there. you don't eat lorenzo's sober. ← Yup. Definitely not a connisseur's slice of pizza. Best enjoyed at 2am or thereabouts. ← You're all correct. This is decidedly not sober food. I forgot to mention earlier that the times I can't wait to eat something are those times I've got the "wasted hungries". Does it actually matter if it's refined white sugar or high fructose corn syrup?? End result is the same, no?

My house gold rum for mixing is the Appleton's V/X. Very good flavor and reasonably priced. How's that burnt lemon peel work with the drink? Burnt orange works great in many things, but I'd be afraid the burnt lemon might be too acrid. Does it work well??

If you do the Sauv Blanc, make sure it is a more acidic example of the genre. The saltiness from the prosciutto and capers and the acidity from the lemon need that balance. I'd suggest a Gavi or an Orvieto from Italy, an Australian Semillon or a Gruner Veltliner from Austria as other possibilities.

I think dark rum might overwhelm the "plumminess" of the drink. A nice gold rum could work. How are you going to be able to source enough plum syrup? Are you just going to keep draining jars of compote? Sounds like a lot of work unless the kitchen needs the plums... Nantucket Nectars makes a plum juice that's pretty tasty and fairly readily available I think. Might be easier to use. I was contemplating a "Red Fruits Daiquiri" along these lines with rum, plum juice, pomegranate juice, Chambord and lime.

As much as I will make authentic DOC pizza or have the elite pizza of lombardis and tacconelli's, this greasy pie still has a place on my palate. For all the fine dining I might experience, sometimes a nice greasy piece of lorenzo's just hits the spot. :-) But I must say a friend of mine was friends with the owner of Mama Palmas, and they have one of my favorite pies in philly. Actually thats some of the best pizza I've had anywhere. ← Lorenzo's is all of around the corner from my house. The only time I'll go there is when nothing else is open (and the South Street Diner is always open) and I want something quick. But the pizza downright sucks. It's a HUGE slice of overly sweet sauced nasty pie. I'm sure the secret ingredient is a copious amount of sugar added to the industrial sized cans of sauce. When I want a good slice of that style of pie I head to the Lorenzo's at 9th & Christian in the Italian Market. It's the same type of pie, but way better. I don't know if the two are related or not. But the pizza is much better at the 9th Street shop regardless. Mama's Palma's, on the other hand, makes some righteous good 'za. Great crust, fresh toppings, and wonderful flavor combinations.

The Complete Book of Greek Cooking is my go to book for all things Greek. Written by the mommies and yiayias of St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Cathedral. Authentic recipes with excellent directions. Lots of recipes that I've never seen in other Greek cookbooks.

A Ti Punch variation for this evening's entertainment. Half a lime, cut into small sections 1/2 oz. Cane syrup (although I'm hoarding my last little bit) 2 oz. Rhum Clement blanc 1/2 oz. Clement Creole Shrub (an orange and rhum flavored liqueur) 2 healthy dashes Fee Brothers Orange flower water Muddle lime and cane syrup together in shaker. Fill with ice. Add rhum, shrub and orange flower water and shake vigorously until well chilled. Dump into a highball glass and sip slowly and reflectively.

Color me pea green with envy. Both for the meal and the fabulous company.

Thanks Percy! The sangrias (both the red and the white) really are quite photogenic as well as tasty, even if I do say so myself. One of my favorite things is to serve a glass to a customer sitting by the window on a sunny day. It just looks so appealing with the light streaming through it. Many a glass has sold itself to another table that way.

Mercifully, no. I've only been asked for one once. I thought my eyes would roll out of my head. I suspect ordering something that sounds as pompous as a pousse cafe is not something that most Americans would attempt. Unless they were trying to torment the bartender.

I have a hard enough time memorizing drink recipes. I really don't want to have to memorize the specific gravity of different liqueurs so I remember to pour them in order. Yeah sure - it looks really cool but how's that going to taste?? It's easier to drain the bar mat into a shot glass and hand it over.

Yes. Absolutely, yes.

*happy dance* I shoulda gone too, but just knowing I can have them later this week is making me deliriously happy.