Philadelphia Theme Party

[Behemoth]

So we're inviting 12-20 of my husband's students to a Philadelphia theme party a week from Saturday.

Obviously cheese steaks are planned. I am making the italian rolls myself, as you just can't get those here. For the beef, I am thinking of buying bulgogi to get something thinly pre-sliced, save myself a little work. (Do you think that would work?) Fried onions are planned, natch, as well as provolone and Cheese Whiz. We can't get those proper hot peppers here, but I guess I can try slicing Chicago sport peppers...unless someone has a good recipe that can be ready in time.

I'd like to have something green on the table, even though I doubt there are any vegetarians in the group. I thought roasted red peppers and sauteed brocolli rabe would be nice choices (to go with the south philly italian theme.) I could add salami and prosciutto (pro-joot, in local parlance) olive oil and oregano for people to make their own WAWA italian hoagies. But then I'd have to insist on being mildly abrasive while calling people "Hon".

We can't get any local beers here, sadly, though we have a case of Flying Fish porter in the basement. What else could be a good beverage? We were thinking of getting a bottle of Beam and a case of PBR cans as a Bob and Barbara's salute. You can get that Nate Wiley CD online, you know

What about dessert? I thought of shoo-fly pie, but that is PA Dutch more than specifically Philly. Water, er, wooder ice is the obvious choice, though I could use a recipe. If I get my little ice cream maker started a few days early I should be able to crank out enough. Cannolis would be awesome but I think that's way too much work. Philly-style ice cream is also a possible...

Soft pretzels with mustard? Can't get scrapple around here. Was actualy thinking of roasting a pork sholder in tribute to Tony Luke's, but I will only do that if we have a LARGE crowd coming.

Music: the Roots, Jill Scott, Bahamadia, Sun Ra, Dead Milkmen, Spinners & O'Jays yes, Hall and Oats & Tommy Conwell, um, no. Springsteen and Patti Smith maybe (Hey, South Jersey is almost Philly. But then I'd have to include Bon Jovi.) I think the album Bowie recorded at Sigma sound is also fair game...

On the TV in the background with the sound off: Rocky, Trading Places, other ideas?

Edited April 26, 2005 by Behemoth (log)

[rlibkind]

Tastycakes.

Sweetzels wafers.

Black cherry (Wisniak) soda

[Behemoth]

I'm almost ashamed to ask, but what is a sweetzle wafer. Oh wait, the candy?

I think there is one place I can get Frank's soda, but it is expensive.

I definitely can't find tastycakes around here, but I was thinking of trying to make a Butterscotch Krimpet-style cake. If anyone has an idea how that works, let me know. (Maybe I should check the pastry & baking forum.)

[ladyyoung98]

hey u left something else out too...philly cream cheese......

u could pretty mcuh do whatever you want with that..like make a cheesecake....bagels and cream cheese.....hey philly brand cream cheese also has flavored ones as well...just trot down to your local grocery store and take a peek

[Behemoth]

hey u left  something  else out too...philly cream cheese......

u could  pretty mcuh do whatever you want with that..like make a cheesecake....bagels and cream cheese.....hey  philly brand  cream cheese also  has flavored  ones as well...just  trot  down to your local grocery store and  take a peek

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You're not from Philly, are you

edit: from the Kraft website

... New York cheese distributor, A. L. Reynolds, first began distributing cream cheese wrapped in tin-foil wrappers, calling it Philadelphia Brand.

But why did he call it Philadelphia? The name "Philadelphia Brand cream cheese" was adopted by Reynolds for the product because at that time, top-quality food products often originated in or were associated with the city, and were often referred to as being "Philadelphia quality."

My dinner will be Philadelphia quality, but will only involve real Philly foods.

Edited April 26, 2005 by Behemoth (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Some ideas could be found and shipped to you from the Pennsylvania General Store.

or Philly-Food.com

or Little Mike's

Voila! Instant Philly food with atty-tood!

[mrbigjas]

I'm almost ashamed to ask, but what is a sweetzle wafer. Oh wait, the candy?

sweetzles are basically kind of a molasses/cinnamon flavored cookies. kinda like a ginger snap. but different. because they're sweetzle's.

I definitely can't find tastycakes around here, but I was thinking of trying to make a Butterscotch Krimpet-style cake. If anyone has an idea how that works, let me know. (Maybe I should check the pastry & baking forum.)

a web search turns up a lot of hits for that. also there's a book called 'top secret recipes' that claims to have it--but i bet you're right, the bakers here could fake it, i bet.

but back to the sandwiches: bulgogi would probably work--but the better steak places all claim to use ribeye. i thought bulgogi was usually a different cut. but i could be wrong. and i suspect once you get cooking it, it won't matter all that much.

you know, you don't have to roast up an entire pork shoulder to give people the idea of a roast pork sandwich. if you buy a piece of pork loin with enough fat on it, you can make a reasonable facsimile without too much trouble. we could go into it further if you want--roast pork is one of those things that is easy to do pretty well; it's hard to do perfectly, of course, but easy to give people a concept of the sandwich.

but anyway, since you're making the rolls already, it would be a shame to go without the pork--get yourself some nice aged provolone, and by all means use that broccoli rabe you're cooking up on the sandwiches.

[Behemoth]

A $98 porkroll! They are good students but they are not that good Maybe I can get my folks to mail me a carton of soft pretzels. I lived on those things in college. $0.50, a slice of cheese, a microwave and some french's mustard = dinner.

I am definitely making a Butterscotch Krimpet cake, it's easy, a sheet pan makes lots of servings, and I can do it a day in advance. If I am feeling generous they might even get some Wishniak Cherry action.

Ah, it's hard to give them the full experience. The full experience is wandering out of Franks or Doobies or god help us Oscars Tavern after last call, heading to chinatown for some snails in black bean sauce at 3 AM, then deciding it would be an AWESOME idea to drive to atlantic city RIGHT NOW then either totally regretting it or changing your mind once everyone agrees and you locate someone with an actual working car, instead sitting at someones house drinking yuengling and watching Nosferatu for the 14th time. But we try, you know?

I think you've talked me into the roast pork. I'm already making the greens after all.

The students were in Philly for a conference last week, but one of them couldn't go because he was under 21. He just had his 21st birthday this week, and we thought it would be funny, plus a way to say goodbye to graduating seniors.

Edited April 26, 2005 by Behemoth (log)

[ludja]

...

What about dessert? I thought of shoo-fly pie, but that is PA Dutch more than specifically Philly. Water, er, wooder ice is the obvious choice, though I could use a recipe. If I get my little ice cream maker started a few days early I should be able to crank out enough. Cannolis would be awesome but I think that's way too much work. Philly-style ice cream is also a possible...

...

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Could make ricotta tarts--similar flavor profile and southern Italian... or maybe easier for a crowd--individual cream puffs with ricotta (rigotte..) filling. Can add in chocolate chips or candied fruit if wanted. (I have recipes for the filling if you want).

Lemon ice?

Edited April 26, 2005 by ludja (log)

[Behemoth]

Could make ricotta tarts--similar flavor profile and southern Italian... or maybe easier for a crowd--individual cream puffs with ricotta (rigotte..) filling.  Can add in chocolate chips or candied fruit if wanted.  (I have recipes for the filling if you want).

Lemon ice?

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Creampuffs are easy when you are a talented Ludja. Cream puffs are hard when you are an idiot baker Behemoth. Lemon ice is still under strong consideration.

Edited April 26, 2005 by Behemoth (log)

[mrbigjas]

A $98 porkroll! They are good students but they are not that good 

i bet someone here could mail you some for a whole lot less than that.

i hadn't had pork roll for a while and then had it again recently. holy salt, batman! i mean, it's still great, but it's way saltier than i remembered.

Ah, it's hard to give them the full experience. The full experience is wandering out of Franks or Doobies or god help us Oscars Tavern after last call,

there's a last call at oscar's?

[MarketStEl]

Pity that you can't get your hands on Bassett's ice cream.

Would you count Breyers, even though it's no longer made here?

The rest of your menu sounds fine, and I can't think of any foods I'd add.

I think I'm more helpful with musical suggestions. Don't forget to include:

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, especially "Wake Up Everybody" or "If You Don't Know Me By Now"

MFSB -- specifically, "TSOP" (better known as the "Soul Train" theme)

Todd Rundgren -- if you want to toss Patti Smith into the mix, play "Radio Ethiopia," which Rundgren produced, but include some of Todd's own work as well

John Coltrane (my pick: "A Love Supreme," perhaps the most sublime jazz album ever produced)

Paul Robeson

Patti Labelle

The Hooters

And expand your students' musical horizons a bit--include a Philadelphia Orchestra recording.

Definitely include "Young Americans" (Bowie's Sigma Sound effort).

You've also got only two films. Try these as well:

"The Philadelphia Story"

"Philadelphia" (the Tom Hanks-Denzel Washington film from the mid-'90s about a man dying from AIDS and the lawyer who doesn't want to represent him at first. You also get to toss Springsteen in with this film, as he performed the opening song, "Streets of Philadelphia")

"Witness" (laugh line: Amish woman, as Harrison Ford caroms through Center City eluding a pursuer: "I thought you said we'd be safe in Philadelphia." Ford: "Well, I was wrong." Second laugh line: As the corrupt cops close in on the Amish family's house: "You have nothing to fear. We are the police. The Philadelphia Police.")

"National Treasure"

Good luck! Of course you're going to let us all know how things went, right?

[Taboni]

I know I have seen pork roll and scrapple available online, perhaps at phillypretzels.com. Musicwise, you need to get hold of Tommy Conwells young rumblers (my bro played with him in college at UofD) and definitely the Hooters.

[tejon]

You need to add a huge Stromboli to the menu. Then, it's perfect

Now I'm remembering my Philly days!

[NulloModo]

Wow, I always thought pork roll was a national product. Though it is hard to imagine life in a place without readily availible scrapple.

The Broccoli Rabe is a good idea for a veggie, but I would also vote for sauteed escarole. I made up a big batch last week sometime after reading some recipes online supposedly from the Philly Red Gravey joints.

[rlibkind]

I'm almost ashamed to ask, but what is a sweetzle wafer. Oh wait, the candy?

I think there is one place I can get Frank's soda, but it is expensive.

I definitely can't find tastycakes around here, but I was thinking of trying to make a Butterscotch Krimpet-style cake. If anyone has an idea how that works, let me know. (Maybe I should check the pastry & baking forum.)

←

You can order the Sweetzel's on-line. A friend who operates the Pennsylvania General Store at the Reading Terminal Market (www.pageneralstore.com) offers them and other goodies online. And yes, they are like (but not identical to) gingersnaps.

As for Frank's Wishniak, that's not even made in Philly these days, I understand, and, in any event, is hard to find. However, if you live anywhere near Chicago or anywhere there's a substantial Polish or Eastern European population, odds are you can find a similar black cherry soda available. "Wishniak" is Polish for a particular type of black cherry.

Pork roll is more Trenton than Philadelphia, though Philadelphia does tend to be the southern boundary for the distributors. It, too, is available online: www.porkrollxpress.com. They sell Tastykakes, too.

Do do the roast pork! Even a part of a fresh ham will work, since a whole ham will obviously be too much if a shoulder is. The loin is an excellent idea, too.

[stephenc]

Make a marinara sauce in case some eaters wanna turn their cheesesteak into a pizzasteak. Maybe mushrooms too for a mushroomsteak. Or cold fixin's to make hoagiesteaks.

[Holly Moore]

Make a marinara sauce in case some eaters wanna turn their cheesesteak into a pizzasteak. 

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South Philadelphia Translation: "Make a pot of gravy."

[touaregsand]

Wow, I always thought pork roll was a national product.  Though it is hard to imagine life in a place without readily availible scrapple.

The Broccoli Rabe is a good idea for a veggie, but I would also vote for sauteed escarole.  I made up a big batch last week sometime after reading some recipes online supposedly from the Philly Red Gravey joints.

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What is a pork roll? Scrapple?

[NulloModo]

Wow, I always thought pork roll was a national product.  Though it is hard to imagine life in a place without readily availible scrapple.

The Broccoli Rabe is a good idea for a veggie, but I would also vote for sauteed escarole.  I made up a big batch last week sometime after reading some recipes online supposedly from the Philly Red Gravey joints.

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What is a pork roll? Scrapple?

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For pork roll, think a tangier, more heavily processed version of Canadian Bacon.

For scrapple: all of the bits of pig too undesirable for sausage making, ground up with corn meal, spiced, and pressed into a brick. It is usually fried up as a breakfast meat, and gets wonderfully crunchy on the outside, and soft, steamy, andmelty on the inside.

[Holly Moore]

From Dietz and Watson's Scapple Label:

Pork, Pork Stock, Pork Snouts, Pork Skins, Pork Liver, Corn Meal, Whole Wheat, Salt, Spices

Interesting that pork is the first item on the listing. This indicates the highest content. Also indicates that it is the actual meat from a hog - not the offal. It's a bit of an urban legend that scrapple is basically what's scrapped up off of the slaughter house floor at the end of the day.

[Taboni]

Wow, I always thought pork roll was a national product.  Though it is hard to imagine life in a place without readily availible scrapple.

The Broccoli Rabe is a good idea for a veggie, but I would also vote for sauteed escarole.  I made up a big batch last week sometime after reading some recipes online supposedly from the Philly Red Gravey joints.

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What is a pork roll? Scrapple?

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Pork roll could perhaps be the single greatest processed pork product ever known to man. Kind of like Spam in the shape of a big piece of baloney, but much better.

Best served on a hard roll with fried egg and cheese. Actually a New Jersey product but also found in Philadelphia

Scrapple is everything that wasn't quite up to par to be put into hotdogs mixed up with some cornmeal, then pressed into a brick form. Best served fried with maple

syrup. Scrapple is a product indigenous to Pennsylvania.

I can't believe there are millions of people around this world who have never experienced the nirvana that is pork roll.

[monavano]

Behemoth, it sounds like it's going to be a great Philly blow out! I'd definitely try to get shaved ribeye for the cheesesteaks. i got excellent frozen shaved rib at Costco of all places. I made REAL authentic cheesesteaks in minutes at home. Other brands which claim to be "philly steaks" can be so dissapointing.

Although you cant get Frank's soda, any black cherry would fit the bill as far as giving the feeling of a Philly beverage. Gosh, I remember going to the beverage store and getting a wooden case of glass bottles of Frank's soda.

Another Philly food that I didnt' see mentioned yet is tomato pie. They sell them at the Acme!! (was just in Philly this past weekend). And, how easy it that to make!!

Pork roll/Taylor pork roll is a ham product similar to spam. It's salty and a bit tangy. I like it and usually polish off my mother's supply when I visit her in philly. Scrapple is another pork product which is spicy and savory. It doesnt taste bad at all really. It's just made of every part of the pig that's leftover from butchering and that makes me avoid it. Both are really breakfast foods, like sausage, or bacon. You fry them up and serve with eggs or pancakes and the like.

[touaregsand]

Wow, I always thought pork roll was a national product.  Though it is hard to imagine life in a place without readily availible scrapple.

The Broccoli Rabe is a good idea for a veggie, but I would also vote for sauteed escarole.  I made up a big batch last week sometime after reading some recipes online supposedly from the Philly Red Gravey joints.

←

What is a pork roll? Scrapple?

←

For pork roll, think a tangier, more heavily processed version of Canadian Bacon.

For scrapple: all of the bits of pig too undesirable for sausage making, ground up with corn meal, spiced, and pressed into a brick. It is usually fried up as a breakfast meat, and gets wonderfully crunchy on the outside, and soft, steamy, andmelty on the inside.

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Come to think of it I've probably seen pork roll in supermarkets around here. I don't recall ever seeing scrapple though.

I'm in backwards LA. The last time I went to a friend's house for brunch she served soy sausage.

[DTBarton]

50 pretzels for 19.95 + shipping:

http://philadelphia.about.com/gi/dynamic/o...ofphilly.com%2F

scrapple for $1.79/pound + shipping:

http://www.arnolds-sausage.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv

For cheesesteaks I like to use a whole ribeye and slice it real thin.