KatieLoeb

So are you saying you're certain that I'm right? Although I am usually a fairly decent speller, I'm not willing to bet my life on this one. But yeah - that pickled salad-like stuff at Chickie's Deli is delish! No matter how you spell it!

And in fact, Chickie's Deli sells a delicious Giardinera salad. I had some on the side of my veggie hoagie a couple of days ago and it was quite tasty.

I confess I don't know from Chicago style Italian beef. I'm certain it must be delicious if it can elicit this sort of withdrawl! I'm thinkin' you need to develop a new favorite sandwich that will tide you over between visits back to Chicago. Because let's face it, it's never going to be as good here, even if it does exist somewhere. The dimestore pyschologist in me wonders if you're having tranferrance issues and you really really want the cheesesteaks to be something they can never be. Perhaps this is the root of your disappointment. Since the cheesesteaks just aren't cutting it for you, in the inimitable words of Steven Stills, you need to love the one you're with. My suggestions for new Philly specialty sandwiches to audition as your new favorite are the following: 1) Roast Pork at Tony Luke's (Front & Oregon Ave). With Broccoli Rabe and Aged Provolone. It gets no better than that. There's also the veal or chicken cutlet sandwiches which aren't too bad either. Good roast beef too. 2) A Veggie Hoagie at Chickie's Deli (10th & Federal Sts.). Ths is the best vegetarian sandwich of all time. Not that it could possibly replace beef, but it's DAMN good as well. 3) A Special Tuna Hoagie at Chickie's. They use the good Italian tuna packed in olive oil. It's amazing. 4) Any of the special hoagies from Chickie's. They use the best cold cuts, real prosciutto di Parma, good cheese and the best rolls. You can't screw up with the best of everything. 5) A Cubano sandwich from Tierra Colombiana (North 5th Street just off the Roosevelt Blvd.) This is the real deal. If you closed your eyes you'd swear you were on Calle Ocho in Miami. 6) A cutlet sandwich from Shank & Evelyn's on 10th Street. Schnitzel-style veal or chicken sticking way out of the sides of the roll. Awesome! 7) Vietnamese hoagies from any one of a number of places on or near Washington Avenue. This ought to keep you busy for a little while.

I've lived in or around Philly my entire life except college, and I've never had pepper pot soup, let alone heard of it. Can you recommend a place? Philly's got all sorts of signature food. cheesesteaks, pretzels, tastykakes, italian ice, ice cream, cheesesteak hoagies, scrapple, roast pork, etc etc etc...... no wonder we're so fat. not as fat as houston and their kolaches though. Pepperpot soup is a colonial era presentation of a beef vegetable soup that also contains tripe and a healthy dose of Pepper or Chiles. It may have been an adaptation of a recipe brought to the Colonies by Caribbean slaves. City Tavern has "West Indies Pepperpot Soup" on both the lunch and dinner menus. The late Bookbinder's was apparently quite known for their Pepperpot soup. In fact it may still be available canned at a supermarket that carries the Bookbinder's brand soups in the yellow labeled cans. I think Campbell's makes a Pepperpot soup in the classic red & white can. Not sure if it really has tripe in it or not. Ah yes! Tastycakes! Criminy - how could I forget those! And the Roast Pork sandwiches are indeed worthy of mention. And it's not Italian Ice - it's WATER ICE. Possibly the only thing that makes August in this city tolerable.

Feast Your Eyes Catering does a very professional job and does a lot of work at the University. They'll handle all the rentals, staffing, etc. so you don't have to sweat a thing. For that amount of money you could probably get away with a few displays (fruit and cheese perhaps) and a vareity of butlered hors d'oeuvres. 215-923-9449. Ask for Lynn Buono or Skip Schwartzman - they are the owners. Tell them I sent you. I used to work for them and they're very nice and very accomodating.

Ah, those Mozartkugeln! Our city guide explained that the gold-wrapped ones were superior to the silver-wrapped ... and sold only in Salzburg ... Mozartkugeln have a core made of marzipan, surrounded by a layer of dark and a layer of light nougat crème, coated in the finest chocolate. They are divine!! Thanks for reminding me about them once again! I bought a number of them on my visit to Salzburg a few months ago ... but gave them all away upon my return.... Ohmigosh! Aren't these the absolute BEST! The most decadent chocolates with the loveliest presentation. So delicious. These were favors for the guests at my wedding. I placed one Mozartkugeln in a small box and had a silk rose glued to the top of each box. When the little boxes were all on a tray it looked like a lovely bouquet. So very Martha and so very unlike me under normal circumstances. But everyone loved them.

Ludja - I was of the impression that this stuff caused a bit of Sturm und Drang in the digestive tract and was dangerous merely from that stand point. It's like drinking still fermenting cider. I'm not thinking good thoughts about this. If it didn't make you ill I don't think you drank enough of it. Of course perhaps the Austrians in my acquaintance only know from overindulgence Intersting. I'll have to look into that. My Wine Lovers's Companion lists neither Schilcher or Blauer Wildbacher. Indeed, Ms. Schrock is quite the esteemed vintner, and a fascinating and gracious companion as well. I have a soft spot in my heart for lady winemakers and their products and she's one of the very best. Rust is a lovely town with historic older homes and lovely surrounding vineyards. The neatest thing about Rust is all of the storks that are everywhere! There are stork nests on top of every chimney in town it seems (they are considered good luck), and the big awkward birds are just wandering about everywhere. Having passed a stork at roadside on the way into town I realized it looked familiar but I couldn't place it. "What the heck was that?" I thought to myself. Then I realized it belonged on the front of a birth announcement card with a baby in a bunting hanging from its beak!

Everyone beat me to my suggestions of Wallse, Slanted Door, Danube and Gary Danko. All are widely known for their wide selection of Austrian wines. Perhaps the various restaurants could fax or e-mail you copies of their wine lists for your research? Ludja I've tried the Schilcher before and it's delicious! I've never seen it here though. Quite unique. Like a bone chillingly dry but still fruity rose. Wish I could find it here. I visited Heidi Schrock in Rust and she was kind enough to show me around her beautiful vineyards overlooking the Neusiedlersee (the largest puddle I've ever seen - size of a lake and about three feet deep!) and let me taste many of her wines at her lovely home. We then proceeded to have a fantastic dinner at a local heuringen that was run by members of her family and where the wines were made by her brother-in-law. A fantastic day and evening that I shall not soon forget. Her wines are of excellent quality and I recommend trying any that you happen to run across. The Weissburgunder, Furmint and Muscat are all delicious, as is the Zwiegelt red, but if you are blessed enough to run across a bottle of the Ruster Ausbruch, the dessert wine that the region is duly famed for, snap it up immediately. It is nectar!

Plumpjack is one I inadvertantly left off my list. They're VERY nice there. The tasting is a grouping of four or five wines and you're encouraged to go walking about or go sit outside in the sunshine with your glass if you like. "Don't worry - we'll remember where you were in the series..." Quite a laid back place and very helpful and well spoken staff in the tasting room. I recall their riesling as being particularly noteworthy. Schramsberg has lovely sparkilng wines. The demi-sec is a personal favorite. Del Dotto is owned by a former dot.com real estate tycoon that made boatloads of cash selling real estate in Hawaii to the invading Japanese investors. He liked wine so he bought himself a winery. I've never tried the products but the story is certainly interesting.

At a French-Vietnamese restaurant I had 2002 Lazy Creek Gewurztraminer paired with a Sweet and Sour Tom Yum Shrimp soup. The wine smells like rose guest soap and canned fruit cocktail, is almost amber colored, has a decent amount of acidity backing it up and is absolutely delicious and one of my favorites with spicy and Asian foods. I also had a bottle of Miner Family Vineyards "DeMayo Vineyard" 2002 Chardonnay with a Chilean Sea Bass stuffed with Shrimp and Carmelized Onions in a Tamarind sauce. The wine was very tropical and buttery but alas, a bit too oaky for pairing with almost any kind of food, IMO. Very tasty on it's own or perhaps with another dish with smokier flavors. Might be delicious with smoked fish or something with a bit of bacon, come to think of it. Since the restaurant was BYOB, I was forced to try pair my food with the wine we'd brought, as opposed to the other way around.

Perhaps he was a lawyer? How'd you guess?

Yes! Why on earth do they think that you will ever, EVER want their product again? I've gotten coupons for facial tissues (large flying bug ironed into the paper); granola (cobwebby pupae hanging in glassine bag), and hotel upgrades (a very long and complicated story, with each of the hotel's screw-ups -- the last of which was plastic wrap still on the piece of fish on a freebie make-up dinner -- causing a larger "reward" for me). For a very funny take on making this happen, try to see the play alternately called Nourish the Beast or Baba Goya, by Steve Tesich. In which they say, - We could really use a new car. - Okay, get out the typewriter: Dear Mr. Ford . . . Suzanne: The kicker for me was having my ex-husband suggest that he sue them for "disruption of marital consortium" due to my injured mouth. That pretty much cinched it for me that he really was the selfish asshole I'd only suspected he was previously.

I cut my tongue on a piece of glass I found in my Campbell's soup. I sent the offending shard of glass and the empty can to their headquarters. They sent me back coupons for MORE soup!!!

The architechture at Artesa is worth the trip alone. And yes the views are spectacular Take the whole tour of the facility HERE The wines aren't too shabby either. A glass of their sparkling wine out on that terrace is a truly civilizing experience. Do I really only have to pick ONE favorite?? I had such great experiences at so many different wineries! Here's just my few faves in Napa: I love Robert Sinskey for the Koi pond out in front and the unbelievable Pinot Noirs. I enjoyed Merryvale because the tour was incredibly informative, the tasting class was fabulous, and the cask room is just exquisite: Getting a taste of the Merryvale Profile isn't a bad thing either. I had a great time at Havens winery because I got a personal tour of the vineyards and got to meet Michael Havens (and his cool dog) playing mad scientist that afternoon. What a great opportunity to pick his brain a bit. The Havens Bourriquot is one of the most delicious red wines I've ever tasted. Chateau Montelena has a breathtakingly beautiful Japanese garden and pond behind it. You can stroll along and watch the turtles sunning themselves on logs sticking up out of the water. Lots of ducks. Big assed Koi in their pond too. Niebaum-Coppola has a beautiful building and grounds and how did they get that car up on the second floor anyway? A very nice tasting room and really interesting movie memorabilia. Grgich Hills has an excellent selection of wines in their tasting room. The Violetta dessert wine is scrumptious, as are their Chardonnays. OK - I can't pick one. And this doesn't even count the places I visited in Sonoma!

Ah yes - this is oddly reminiscent of an experience I had in my youth. I'd gone to accompany a friend whose brother was in charge of that month's synagogue youth wine & cheese party followed by a movie. Her brother was older and she didn't want to go by herself, so I agreed to be her "date" and keep her company. Of course my dinner that evening consisted of perhaps a dozen 1"x1" cubes of cheese and a whole lot of wine. I felt fine when I got into the car and drove most of the way home, and started feeling really buzzed on the ride. (Not too smart and I've never done that again) When I got home I went to bed and had a ferocious case of the Bed Spins. After riding my bed seemingly all over my bedroom I finally went to the bathroom down the hall and purged myself of much of the offending wine. Went back to bed. Round two of the Magic Bed Ride. Back to the bathroom go I. I am retching loudly and praying with every fiber of my being that I wouldn't wake my mom up. With my head hanging over the toilet and a bellyache from puking so hard I hear a light tap on the bathroom door. "Whaaaaaat", I barely growl. "Drink much?" was the cheery question from the other side of the door. Mom picked me up off the floor, dragged me upstairs to her king sized bed and poured me into it. She went to go get a cold cloth to put on my head but I was out cold by the time she got back. Next afternoon I crawled downstairs at about 1PM with a blinding hangover. My head felt like it was filled with hot sand and my mouth felt like an army had marched through it after going through a pasture first. There was hot tea and dry toast waiting for me. Mom was perfectly cheery and chipper and didn't say a word about the events of the night before. Halfway through my tea I just couldn't stand it any longer and said, "Mom - about last night. You're being awfully and uncharacteristically understanding. What's up?" She turned and smiled at me sweetly and said, "No amount of me wishing to wring your neck would make you feel any worse than you do right now. And besides, you're twenty goddamned years old. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO LEARN TO HANDLE YOUR LIQUOR! You're an embarrassment!" That did it. She SHAMED me into behaving better in the future. I haven't gotten that uncontrollably drunk since and it was over twenty years ago. Amen!

What's up with the garbanzo beans?!? Are they canned and rinsed/drained, or soaked fresh ones? That looks like a fabulous addition, both nutritionally and tastewise. I'm too lazy to look backward in the thread. Fifi, could you kindly explain the method for the dish in that oh-so-appetizing photo? Pleeeeease?

Nice - Salade Nicoise Barcelona - Paella, tapas London - Fish and Chips Amsterdam - Herring Brussels - Frites Paris - Croque Monsiuer or Madame Salzburg - those chocolate truffles with the picture of Mozart on them!

Yeah that was me. That was quite a few years ago as I was a teenager myself at the time. The Rabbi's son took a big honking whiff out of the jar as the rest of us stood around, mouths agape or forming little "O's" screaming "Nooooooooooo!" in slow motion. Never seen a person turn that color berfore. Never want to again.

Mabelline: Glad I could stir up a happy memory for you. I bet that spicy applesauce was delicious with the liverwurst! I think I have to go feed this jones and test my theory first thing tomorrow!

Don: I'm appalled at your sense of "practical" gift giving. Reminds me of my ex-husband. However, you definitely score points for the wine selection and pairing, so perhaps there's hope for you yet.

I absolutely love community and church/synagogue/civic cookbooks. There's far less fuss and the ingredients are always readily available, the techniques easy to follow and the results predictably delicious. Dang, those church/synagogue ladies can cook! Out of my ridiculously large collection of cookbooks, one of my very favorites is The Complete Book of Greek Cooking by the church ladies of St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church Amazon Link HERE The book is written by real home cooks, not professional chefs, and has a recipe for vitually any Greek dish I have ever tried to reproduce. This is my one "go to" book for Greek cuisine. I have a few other compilation books of various "community cookbooks" that I'll have to go look up the titles of. Never knew there were so many species of Jello molds before None will ever live up to Rachel Perlow's work of art I was priviledged to witness (and taste!) at the Bobolink Farm Pot Luck last summer. Her lovely avatar is an homage to that quivering work of art!

Michael: I thought Chrein was ground prepared (with vinegar and salt) horseradish whether it was white OR red. But perhaps I'm mistaken. I thought Chrein was just the German for horseradish. Or perhaps (like many other things) it depends where one's family is from? In Bavaria/Austria fresh horseradish is ground or shredded into applesauce to be served on the side of boiled beef or pork chops. This is a VERY good use for the fresh root. I've done this with bottled unsweetened applesauce and it's quite tasty and very very easy.

I made this again tonight and instead of doing florets as I had in the past, I did the "cross sections of brain" 1/4" slices that are called for in the original recipe. I liked the dish before - I absolutely LOVE it now. Made all the difference in terms of the level of tenderness and browning/carmelization that was achieved on the cauliflower. I ate almost an entire head myself I tossed the slices and nibbly bits with good EVOO, sea salt and fresh ground pepper and spread them out on two pans that were lined in aluminum foil and lightly sprayed with Olive Oil cooking spray. I put the pans in a 400 degree oven and tossed the vegetables about every ten minutes or so. Halfway through the cooking I sprinkled a bit of mixed ground spice on it (I honestly can't remember if it was Emeril's Essence or Trader Joe's Twenty One Seasoning Salute). I waited until all was browned and slightly crisp around the edges (approx. 40 minutes) and then took it out. It was unbelievably delicious. Could definitely sub for a more carbohydrate laden side dish. If vegetables tasted like this all the time, children would eat them unquestioningly. I thank all of you for bringing this topic back to the fore. As I was enjoying my cauliflower this evening I was dreading digging up the topic again so I could admit the error of my ways in not following the instructions to the letter the first few times.

The fresh ground stuff won't kill you, but the just-dug-up-from-the-garden-and-fresh-ground stuff will definitely kill you! I wear ski goggles when shredding and chopping horseradish in my food processor. Really. Taking the top off the processor is akin to setting off a tear gas bomb in your own home. I've found horseradish roots to be similar to chile peppers. The smaller they are, the meaner they are. Those pencil thin roots from your garden will blow the doors off the big tree trunk roots you see at the supermarket. A little tiny bit of the homegrown/homemade goes a very long way. Instead of serving it au naturel at its present inedible strength, why don't you just make a horseradish mayo or some type of sauce with it to mellow it out. Letting it sit out and effectively go "stale" so it isn't as sinus-stripping seems to be defeating the purpose of bothering to make "fresh" horseradish to me. Might as well buy the jarred stuff.

Woo-hoo! Thanks for posting this Tim! All of us hard working restaurant professionals in this town knew this all along though, didn't we? Edit to add: OK - I just ran across the street to Barnes & Noble and picked up the magazine. Very nice mentions in it and great photos too! Also very cool that we're the No. 1 thing listed in the top 100. "Most Underrated American Food Town". Yeah - I'll buy that.