rlibkind

I think even a farmed salmon can go up against lighter reds. And frozen sockeye and king can be obtained at good quality (I prefer the frozen PNW varieties to Atlantic farmed). Still I consider Riesling agreat match for salmon: if it's a fatty rich king I would seek an Alsatian; otherwise a flowery Mosel. Then again I'd pair almost any food shy of beef or lamb with Riesling! Even pizza wirh anchovy!

Riesling.

Depends on what the condiment accompanies. Some of my favs: With a Syd's style hot dog (Best Provisions of Newark), I mixed equal parts hoagie spread (chopped hot peppers) and dill pickle relish (not sweet relish). Mustard and kraut top the dog, too. Dirty-water dog: Sabrett's onion sauce (also good on Wisconsin brats). Belgian style frites: mayo, tartar or aioli. Cheap steak: A-1 or HP. Good steak: compound butter. Ham and cheese sandwich: Branston pickles. Pastrami sandwich: pickled plum tomato. Egg rolls: cheap Chinese mustard. Hot soft pretzels: melted butter and German style mustard. Tuna salad sandwich: jarred pimento-stuffed green olives (can also be chopped as topping for sandwich).

According to McGee, the collagen breaks down at a much lower temperature. iirc, he recommends braising in the oven at 250F for a couple of hours (starting in a cold oven), which breaks down the collagen, then finishing at a slightly higher temp. He also urges that the lid be left ajar, because a tight seal allows liquid in braise to boil; McGee's technique avoids anything more than a couple bubbles at a bare simmer.

Since you're considering sous vide, I assume we're not talking about a whole fish here. And is it real striped bass or the hybrid found in many markets, a white bass/striped bass aquaculture product (and not at all bad tasting, just not real striped bass)? If you do have whole fish, I can think of no finer treatment than stuffing and roasting. If you're working with steaks or filets, nothing wrong with simple broiling, baking, grilling or pan sauté. For sauce with any of these, or sous vide (though I don't see how sous vide would particularly benefit striped bass, and may even detract since you can't get a crispy skin) the classic would be a simple butter sauce with capers. Perhaps with the tiniest bit of anchovy if you like. Finish with some squeezes of fresh lemon. Striped bass is so meaty that keeping the sauce simple is best, but because of that meaty-ness, you could also bake it in vegetables of your choosing. Tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, etc. And just so we're clear, since different fish sometimes sport the same common name, all my recommendations are based on the fish known as striped bass found in the waters of southern New England, the mid-Alantic, Carolinas: Morone saxatilis.

A few of the Pennsylvania Dutch merchants at the Reading Terminal Market have increased the number of days they are at the market beyond the Wednesday-to-Saturday schedule that seems to have gone on forever. It started with Moses Smucker proprietor of Smuckers Quality Meats and The Grill at Smuckers, who opens on Tuesdays. More recently, Hatville Deli and L. Halteman have added Tuesday hours. Roger Miller, proprietor of Miller's Twist, plans to go to a Monday-Saturday operation starting Jan. 3, although he won't be open for breakfast on the additional days. Miller said the forthcoming opening of the Convention Center expansion prompted him to expand the schedule. Smucker's move to Tuesday demonstrated to other Mennonite merchants that there are profits to be reaped on that day of the week. Paul Steinke, the RTM's general manager, said he's been told that another reason is the desire on the part of at least one Amish merchant to provide additional employment opportunity for his community, which has felt the recession just like the rest of us. Could this be a start of a new trend, as a younger generation of Pennsylvania Dutch merchants make their presence felt at the market?

With his recent rehab of the Down Home Diner, Jack McDavid may have cut back slightly on his seating. But he probably created more business opportunity by carving out a take-away counter along the Reading Terminal Market's "Second Street" aisle. In addition to sandwiches, salads and everything else on the diner's menu, McDavid added cheese steak to his offerings. I tried it last Monday. Although a disappointment, it shows potential, so I'll try it again in a few weeks. The meat was quite different from the standard rib eye most steakeries serve. Although I didn't ask, it appeared to be a flank steak, which is all to the good. Unfortunately, it was considerably overcooked to the point of dryness. But the meat had excellent flavor, with a lot more beefiness than other cheese steaks I've consumed. It's got the potential to be right up their with my favorite steak sandwich. That was at Syd's, now closed, in Union, N.J. It didn't pretend to be a Philly cheese steak. As I recall, it was skirt steak char broiled and served with garlic-infused cooked onions on an Italian roll with a bit more crusty bite than the typical hoagie roll. Basically, it was a Jewish Romanian steak on a bun.

I know we're in the heart of the gridiron season when Iovine Brothers' Produce features good prices on both limes and avocados. The avocados come from the Dominican Republic, the limes from Mexico. Iovine's manager Charlie Gangloff was marvelling at the amount of collard greens they sell. During the week before and week of Thanksgiving last year they sold 90 cases, at 20-25 pounds per case. And that's not even counting the kale or mustard green. The collards mostly come from Richardson's Farm in Maryland, located about 15 miles northeast of Baltimore, and Gangloff said greens buyers love them because the stems are relatively small. Iovine's also reports that California produce is becoming pricier; Charlie isn't sure they'll be able to hold the $1.99/pound price on green beans, a Turkey Day fav. He suggests considering asparagus. The produce guy was also gushing about the excellence of the honeydew melons; the canteloupes are good, too, he said, but very pricey. So the pre-mixed fruit containers sold in Iovine's refrigerator case is low in lopes, high in dews.

Sub-heading on topic should be Colorful Sushi Roll. Blame my iPod Touch spelling predictor and my obliviousness.

Finally stopped here last night. Gyoza was unexpectedly crispy but tasty. Traffic Light roll was incredibly colored (thanks to orange, green and yelllow roe topping) spider roll, tasted superb. My sushi experience is pretty limited (mostly Whole Foods salmon and tuna rolls) but this was excellent.. $18 for a large 9-piece serving. The other rolls looked well-made, too.. I'll be back.

Seems a chiffon cake would be the solution. Made with oil, you could use cocoa rather than chocolate (in fact, I think cocoa would be preferred in this instance). No dairy, but there are eggs. All the recipes I've seen, however, call for baking in a tube pan, so that may nix it.

An Irish pub in the Reading Terminal Market? Owned by two guys whose names end in vowels? Sure, why not? Especially when they're half-Irish. Jim and Vin Iovine, proprietors of Iovine Brothers Produce, plan to take over the Beer Garden from Anthony Novelli, now in his early 80s, once their license comes through. They'll use their mom's maiden name for the establishment: Molly Molloy's. (Not Molly Maguire's, as reported by Michael Klein.) They are particularly looking forward to obtaining a variance which will allow you buy beer and then carry it off to Center Court to enjoy with your lunch or snack from any of the market vendors. Right now. consumption is limited to "on premises," which means within the confines of the Beer Garden. Jim Iovine said they plan a 20-tap bar featuring craft beers, as well as a big bottle selection. Under Novelli, the Beer Garden has pretty much stuck to the products of the big brewers. (And don't tell me Boston Brewing, i.e., Sam Adams, is not a big brewer; Boston is now the largest brewery in the U.S. under domestic ownership.) They'll have a full liquor license, so it won't be just beer. An expert mixlogist will be on staff for the cocktail-inclined, and the wine selection will be upgraded. Getting the variance to allow consumption of beer elsewhere in the Reading Terminal Market is worth more to them than being open late into the evening, which isn't in the cards. Jim figures he can sell a lot more beer that way than through extended hours. Especially during Flower Show week when horticulturally-handicapped hubbies head to the terminal for a gustatory respite. Iovine said while they would like to be open when the auto show opens in late January, early February may be a more realistic timeframe. And although you'll be able to take your beer to Center Court if all goes as planned, the Iovines hope to entice you to stay with a new kitchen, under the culinary guidance of Bobby Fisher who cooked for the Iovines when they provided the food service at the Bala Golf Club. Even with the addition of a kitchen, the Beer Garden will feature additional seating. The RTM has granted them permission to expand by taking over what is now public seating space behind the Beer Garden. The expansion will complement the market's redesign of Avenue D to provide modernized and expanded rest rooms as well as additional leaseable space.

Could it have been http://www.bloomingglencatering.com/. These are the folks who ran the long-departed Moyers pork store @ the RTM. They've won plenty of prizes for their ham, which I wish were still available at the terminal.

Go to the Reading Terminal Market's website and you'll find the market's logo proclaiming "Fresh & Local Every Day". The same phrase appears in many of the market's promotions and advertisements as it positions itself as the region's premier source of local foods. So what was the market thinking allowing agro-industry giant General Mills to promote its Green Giant line of frozen produce at today's Harvest Festival? Green Giant even emblazoned its stall with the catchphrase "As Nutritious As Fresh!" (photo) directly across the hay-strewn asphalt of Harry Ochs Way (Filbert Street) from Iovine Brothers Produce's Harvest Festival display. The RTM's general manager, Paul Steinke, was not available to provide an explanation. He was in Milan participating in this year's Terra Madre, the annual international event dedicated to local, fresh, sustainable artisinal foods sponsored by Slow Food International. That explanatory task was left to Sarah Levitsky, the RTM's marketing coordinator. Basically, it was for the money. The Green Giant division approached the market looking for an opportunity to do an educational promotion extolling the nutritional value of its frozen vegetables. Although Levitsky didn't volunteer the dollar value she indicated that the fee helped underwrite the market's costs in staging the festival. Now, I don't question the value and nutrition of frozen vegetables. Petite peas, for example, are a staple in my freezer. (BTW, canned petite peas were one of Green Giant's big hits in the early 20th century, when it was still the independent Minnesota Valley Canning Company based in LeSeur, Minnesota. The company was acquired by Pillsbury in 1979, which itself was gobbled up by General Mills in 2001.) But if the market is going to promote itself as the year-round source of "Fresh & Local" foods, succumbing to General Mills' cash was regrettable. Especially so in light of the market's proposed acquisition of Farm to City, one of the region's major sponsors of farmers' markets. One can't help but wonder what Fair Food, Iovine Brothers, O.K. Lee, L. Halteman Family, or Kauffman's Lancaster County Produce (all of which sell local produce) thought of the promotion. Even if they gave their assent, it just had to be grudgingly.

With Charlie Gangloff at the wheel and Billy Moehollen on bullhorn, visitors take a tour de marché during today's Harvest Festival at the Reading Terminal Market. The hayrides around the block were arranged by Iovine Brother's Produce (Charlie and Billy are both managers there) using a spare Ford-New Holland tractor from Shady Brook Farm in Bucks County, one of Iovine's contract suppliers of local produce. Harry Ochs Way, a.k.a. Filbert Street, was closed off to street traffic and spread with hay. At least half a dozen RTM merchants set up outdoor shop for the day. I sampled cinnamon doughnuts hot from the fryer featured at Bieler's stand. I left too early to get some meat off Jack McDavid's Down Home Diner portable barbeque truck. One of the funniest offerings was the "Harvest Platter" offered by one of the Chinese food vendors: skewered chicken, rice? Delicious, I'm sure, but not one of the first foods I conjure up when thinking "harvest" with hay at my feet.

O.K. Lee had some gorgeous cactus pears today at a bargain two for a buck. I've used them for sorbet, and also in margaritas, though I'd imagine they would work in other cocktails, including mojitos. The color of the juice is intense, making any beverage made from it a great showpiece. Four fruits should yield about a cup of juice. Quick thought for another use: make a sugar syrup with it and drizzle atop vanilla ice cream.

It's the season for cruciferous vegetables, including the brassicas. Here are some broccoli and cauliflower displayed by Ben Kauffman at his Lancaster County Produce stall at the RTM: The Iovine Brothers are no slouches when it comes to brassicas. The red and savoy cabbages below sold for 69 cents a pound last week, the green cabbage 50 cents. The Iovine's have also had some great deals on peppers recently. Today both non-local orange and local green bell peppers were bargans, 99 cents a pound iirc. Frying peppers from South Jersey were 79 cents, and red peppers $1.49.

Last weekend a Headhouse: Margerum's preserves are always a welcome sign of fall. Colorful root vegetables were featured at Weaver's Way. Celery from local farms, like these bunches from Blooming Glen, are great for stuffing, eating raw and, of course, chopped fine in copious quantities for tuna salad. The leaves of this variety are particularly flavorful. Use it all in a veggie stock or chicken soup. North Star has more than apples and Asian pears. The colorful chard and kale varieties looked particulrly attractive last Sunday. Sweet peppers and eggplant seem sweeter and more intense once the cool weather arrives. These examples come from Three Springs Fruit Farm, where most of the shelf space is devoted to apple varieties. Beechwood Orchards brought quinces to market last week, a great addition to apple pies. Or to make a fruit jell to accompany pungent cheeses. Beechwood had some small but great tasting chestnuts, too.

Sounds like a barley version of Postum, which was made from wheat.

I don't go to a Pick Your Own for Price. I go because I can get an apple I can't find in any store. That's why I made the trip from Phila. to Warwick NY last month for Cox Orange Pippins. I've never seen a store (in U.S.) with this variety, nor a few of the others I've found at Warwick Valley. The cost, iirc, was $20 for a half bushel; I didn't weigh what I picked, but it couldn't have been much over $1/pound; for this tasty hard-to-find variety it's well worth the price.

Mike, I agree with your analysis entirely. In fact, I am not at all a lover of Amish baked goods -- they are simply way too sweet for me, which is why I passed up the free slices of shoo fly pie they were passing out at the ceremony. What IS important about the Pennsylvania Dutch and the RTM is the fact that by attracting them as vendors, the Reading Company and RTM management provided draw for customers and cemented the RTM as the go-to food emporium in center city. Back to the food. It's hard to find the variety of barrel pickles anywhere else in town that the pickle stall offers, and for quite some time one of the Amish stalls was one of the few place I could count on finding lard-fried potato chips in center city. And let's face it, the fresh made pretzels are way better than those you find in airports and malls! And until the Fair Food Farmstand was established, Benuel Kauffman's offered the widest variety of local produce, the good efforts of the Iovine brothers notwithstanding. And although I'm not a huge fan of it, where else in Center City can you find souse?

So,?what did it taste like?

The Amish haven't always been at the Reading Terminal Market, though it might seem that way. They've certainly been there since I started shopping there in 1982. In fact, they only arrived two years prior. How the Amish set up shop underneath the Reading Railroad's hub was retold by Steve Algott at today's market event commemorating the 30th anniversary of Amish merchants at the Reading Terminal Market. Algott was assigned the task of managing the property when the Reading Company's real estate arm reasserted control with the ending of the master lease held by Center City landlord Sam Rappaport. One of Algott's first moves was to evict eight of the remaining 18 tenants whose businesses didn't fit the Reading Company's vision for the space under the tracks. Among the remaining tenants whose businesses are still active are Pearl's Oyster Bar, Harry Ochs, Bassetts, Halteman's, John Yi and Godshall's. Algott found Amish tenants to occupy the northwest corner of the market, where most of the evicted tenants were located, at Booth's Corner Market, a conglomeration of Amish merchants in Chester County that's been around for 80 years. On the spot he met with Sam Fisher who agreed to bring his and other businesses to the Reading Terminal on a handshake deal. As Algott tells the story, he immediately told Fisher he'd return to the city and draw up the lease papers. To which Fisher responded Algott would have to rely on the handshake: the Amish wouldn't sign leases. Algott went back to his Reading Company superiors with his "good news" (I've got tenants) and "bad news" (they won't sign a lease). But the Reading Company took the chance, and the Amish came, bringing their familes to start businesses in downtown Philadelphia. The rest, as they say, is history. In addition to Algott, other speakers at the noontime ceremony in the seating area behind Miller's Twist's pretzel stand included David Esh, one of the first Amish tenants and operator of Hatfield Deli. Among the original Pennsylvania Dutch who remain are Dienner's Bar-B-Q, Sweet as Fudge Candy Shoppe (formerly Fisher's), and Esh. Also in attendance were Steve Park, the first general manager of the RTM for the Reading Company, and his successor, David K. O'Neill, under whose tenure the market attracted scores of additional vendors and undertook the modernization program concurrent with the building of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. To O'Neil, the presence of the Amish reflect one of the keys to a market's success: a gathering place where people can come together.

You have have noticed some new flavors at Bassetts Ice Cream stall in the Reading Terminal Market, including Mango, Green Tea and Macadamia Nut. Those flavors, which sell respectably in Philadelphia, are big hits in China, where Bassetts has sold its ice cream for the past two years. Michael Strange, proprietor of Bassetts, says he's shipped hundreds of tons since starting in May 2008. The 40-foot containers are trucked to Port Newark-Elizabeth on a regular basis for export from Bassett's contract plant near Johnstown, Galliker Dairy Co. The ice cream is distributed in the Beijing area. Strange said he had had inquiries in the past to sell abroad, but the deals always fell apart. The Chinese deal, however, has taken off like hotcakes, er, ice cream on a summer day.

Fralingwers taffy!