rlibkind

London Grill, too.

Although Philadelphia's local ordinance allowing you to obtain for free any food item (with a few exceptions) for which the checkout scanner charges more than the shelf price (or price marked on the item) would not at first seem apply in this instance, maybe it does! I mean, if it's not the product the shelf tag or package says it is, wouldn't that count? Why not try that, dagordon?

Sure, it would be nice to have more and more varied farmers markets. We can do better, but compared to most other cities we don't do badly at all during the growing season. Of course, San Francisco is about as close to the nation's largest produce-growing area as we are from the Susqhehanna River, and they've got a more temperate climate with a longer and more productive growing season. So, yes, we could do better, but all things considered, we do pretty well.

Judith, no need to apologize. We know you love the RTM and have spread the word of its virtues! I'm sure the Ferry Terminal market is every bit as great as Holly and others describe. But there is a difference, which we sometimes tend to forget, between a farmers market and a public market. Public and farmers markets are similar but not identical, so comparisons sometimes can be inappropriate. The most important difference being that a public market is more than just farmers (indeed, farm stands aren't an essential part of a public market's mission, though they are much sought after additions and considerably more important than frills). A public market, in addition to produce vendors, offers butchers, fishmongers, cheesemongers, bakers, etc. It features everything you need to put a meal on the table. A public market is also not strictly seasonal; it's open all year round and offers the full panoply of food, not just what's harvested locally. Most farmers markets are only open in the growing season, and the few that are open in winter have considerably more limited offerings, of course. A public market isn't better than a farmers market, or vice-versa; they just have different approaches and goals in serving our appetites.

Today's New York Times article on the drive to create an indoor public market in Gotham observes: Feh! on Times' food writer Kim Seversen for the cheap shot. But kudos for acknowledging that Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market, even if it goes unnamed in the article, is a rare gem.

Do you have a problem with Italian? There are decent red-gravy options in that neighborhood. Fits the price and veggie criteria, though nothing out of the ordinary and available just about anywhere in metro area.

I'm gonna be a curmudgeon here. It's not expensive because it's delicious. Lots of delicious foods are inexpensive. It's expensive because the demand is greater than the supply.

For those who missed it, the Free Library of Philadelphia has posted a podcast of AB's Dec. 1 stop there on his recent book tour. Here it is.

Not high-falutin', of course, but on my last trip to the State we stopped at the Colonial Diner on Rt. 18, just a few miles outside downtown and practially a straight shot in, and were pleased. The ne plus ultra of Jersey diner food, at least a few years ago when we were there. And the salad bar had herring!

Haven't been there for brunch yet. Was there once for dinner in early November. It's a fine addition to the neighborhood, but the room is much too noisy.

I haven't been there often enough to pass judgement, though I had a very nice sandwich and beer there a few years ago.

Don't forget sorbets! In preparing the sorbet mix, keep in mind that the higher the proportion of sugar to fruit juice or flavor-infused water, the creamier the result. It's best to start with a simple syrup (I use a ratio of 2 parts sugar to one part water, by weight) rather than mix granulated sugar in with your flavor ingredient. Since it's citrus season, just start out with fresh juice of your favorite citrus or combination thereof. Add enough simple syrup so it's considerably sweeter than you'd want if you were just going to serve it as a "citrus-ade", i.e., lemonade, orangeade, etc. Remember that the perception of sweetness and other taste sensations is reduced by temperature. Then freeze according to your machine's instructions. (A nip of Cointreau won't hurt most citrus sorbets, though Campari and grapefruit work particularly well. Just don't overdo the alcohol, which lowers the freezing temperature; if you use too much your mix will hardly freeze at all. Two tablespoons of booze per pint of mix should be the absolute max.)

Here are my two top choices in the neighborhood. Since it's a party of eight, I'd recommend reservations: London Grill at Fairmount & 23rd. Probably one of the city's best neighborhood restaurants. Jack's Firehouse, Fairmount near 22nd. Great setting. Another possibility would be Rembrandt's, Aspen & 23rd; when the food is good, it's very, very good. Alas, consistency is not it's virtue. I'd avoid Illuminaire: the pizza has gone downhill, and everything else is just so-so.

Does cassoulet count, Holly? Or braised short ribs (I had a delicious example at Brasserie Perrier today, but I'm sure any number of other restaurants do short ribs nicely, too.)

Mike, Is this a ham that's been cured, but not cooked, or is it a fresh ham, a.k.a. fresh pork which has not been cured? If it's already cured, I don't see why brining would be necessary or desirable: you'd only be adding salt to something that already has plenty.

The goods are in for the Night of the Seven Fishes. Both Golden and John Yi featured fresh sardines (herring) at $3 and $3.99/pound, respectively, though at least by today's display, Golden's were superior creatures. Yi also had spearling at $4.99, Golden some rather large langoustines, a.k.a. Dublin prawns. All the other usual suspects, too, including bacalao. I've been having a blast enjoying fresh oysters now that I've purchased an oyster knife and learned to use it (very carefully). The oysters available at the RTM fishmongers are all from Virginia and the Chesapeake, the usually price being 50-cents apiece; I've only seen oysters from Maine, Massachusetts and Canadian Maritime waters at Wegman's in Cherry Hill, where they are nearly twice that price, but worth it. (When I asked one RTM vendor which oyster he had, he said they were Blue Points . . . from Virginia. Which, of course, is an impossibility. Since the HAACP tag said Virginia, they weren't Blue Points, which only come from Long Island.) If you need a fruitcake, either as a gift or a weapon, Iovine Brothers Produce has Claxton cakes in the reefer case by the checkout closest to Filbert Street. Only the regular version, not the dark (which I prefer). Priced at $3.99 per one-pound brick. These fruitcakes are more fruit and nut than cake by a wide margin. Although Iovine had Hass avocados available at a buck apiece, they were either far from ready or over-the-hill. Instead, I picked up one of the Florida/Carribean fruits, which tend to be considerably larger. I'm not sure they'd make as good a guacamole, because they tend to be less rich/buttery, but they are excellent in salads. I used some tonight in a tortilla wrap with chicken, Mexican white cheese, cilantro, lettuce and salsa. Ducks and geese: Nice selections at a number of butchers. Godshall's has both (including Eberly's geese), L. Halteman has Muscovy ducks, Giunta's Prime Shop Long Island (Peking) ducks and can order the Eberly's geese. If the dark meat birds don't interest you, yet you want a big bird but not turkey, consider a capon from Godshalls or Giunta's. The latter carries surgically caponized birds from Eberly; I don't know whether Godshall's are surgically or chemically caponized. In either case, capons are larger chickens (ex-roosters, actually) that tend to run about 8-12 pounds and have a preponderence of breast meat, which stays moister than the usual chicken's.

A couple of weeks ago I sealed a couple of cooked boneless chicken breasts using this device. I pulled them out of the freezer Sunday and ate them last night. Based on this one experiment, it's a wonderful addition to my kitchen battery.

On my annual bakery pilgramage to The Great Northeast I couldn't resist stopping by the Famous Deli given jmbrightman's and monavano's hearty recommendations. It's an impressive place. As for the whitefish salad, after bringing home a pound and tasting I have no doubt it is homemade. While it's very good, it's not my ideal, though there's nothing not to like about it. My gentle critique is that (1) it's too smooth, with too much mayo, and (2) doesn't taste enough like smoked fish. I guess I just like mine fishier, and identifiable as fish; but then, I would expect there are a lot of people who prefer it less fishy. Since it was priced at $3.99/pound, I'm not too surprised by the surplus of mayo. I also bought some regular belly lox, but won't try it until Sunday morning. It looks nice and thinly sliced, however. The belly cut was priced at $9.99/half pound while the less fatty regular cut was being sold at $7.00/half; very reasonable prices. I do want to get up there again and try their whitefish, kippered salmon, etc. My server said they cure and smoke much of the fish themselves (but not the lox, which appears to be from Banner). The various vegetable salads also looked very good. I served the whitefish salad on some onion board (flat bread) purchased the same day at Weiss Bakery, Castor Avenue.

Candinas Chocolatier Not the best I've had, but they're up there. Price is reasonable for the quality. If you're in central Wisconsin, go for it.

I think Tony looked the shark in its face, thought about jumping, but turned around and said the f--- with it.

As I reported upthread, last Sunday there were 14. I doubt there will be that many this week and next; I figure if half a dozen show up, that's a triumph.

Sunday, Dec. 23. Probably reopens sometime in May, date not set yet.

their pastries are pretty good, but i was unimpressed with the breads i bought from them. both the baguette and the country white loaf i bought had a weird texture, almost crumbly. like, they didn't hold together that well when you sliced them. ← Hmmm. The pastries aren't bad (some are very good, particularly the parmentier), but I think the baguettes are the real thing, much more like the baguettes I've had in my limited trips to France than the ones found at Le Bus and Metropolitan (though they are good in their own way, too) in that Versailles' are breadier and less airy. I've actually found the baguettes less crumbly than the others, but I haven't tried the country loafs. Just from the look of the bagels I wouldn't go near them.

The watermelon radishes at Fair Food Farmstand were priced at 75 cents apiece, with each orb measuring about three inches in diameter. How big were the $4 radishes at Union Square, Judith?

Today's Headhouse Square Market doubled the number of vendors from last week, when only seven braved the snow to trek into the depths of Philadelphia. Showing up this week were: <ul><li>A.T. Buzby, produce <li>Birchrun Hills Farm, cheese <li>Betty's Tasty Buttons, fudge <li>Demarah, soaps <li>Griggstown Quail Farm & Market <li>Hillacres Cheese <li>Queens Farm, produce <li>Margerum's Herbs <li>Mountain View Poultry <li>Old Earth Farm, produce <li>Stargazer Vineyard <li>Three Springs Fruit Farm <li>Versaille Baking <li>Woodland Produce</ul>This was only the second week for Woodland Produce, but if their first week is any example, it will be a profitable one. Last week owner Maury Sheets sold out an hour before market closing. He specializes in greenhouse-grown, hydroponic salad greens (although some root veggies and squashes were also on the table this week), primarily selling to Philadelphia restaurants, as well as through the Fair Food Farmstand at the Reading Terminal Market. Noel Margerum was selling fall veggies as well as preserves, relishes and dried herbs. Noel and her sister Carole rotate among the city's farm markets, including Clark Park and Fairmount. Although the market continues for the next two Sundays, this week was probably the last of the season for Three Springs Fruit Farm (the Wenk family). Their orchard fruit is also available at the Fair Food Farmstand. Today I bought a couple of huge Rome apples which I plan to simply bake with some brown sugar or honey. Old Earth Farm is out of stock of meat, at least for a month or so until their piglets reach market size. Since Headhouse will be closed then, you can call the farm or get on its mail list to be notified when their Tamworth porkers are is available: www.oldearthfarm.com or 610 779-9035. If you've become hooked on those pot pies from Griggstown, fear not when Headhouse Square closes for the season. Like the output of many other vendors, these, too, are available at Fair Food Farmstand. What I won't be able to find elsewhere once the market closes for the season are the wonderful baguettes and croisssants from Versailles Baking. The Pennsauken boulanger only sells retail at the Headhouse and Haddonfield markets. Otherwise all their customers are wholesale accounts.