eG Foodblog: Percyn - Food, Wine and Intercourse..(PA that is)

[Gifted Gourmet]

Percy, the wine cooler and your extensive collection of wines on the racks shows a definite interest in being an educated wine oenophile. (redundundundant...)

Do you have any formal training in wines?

[maggiethecat]

I had the very rare good fortune to attend a Parsi feast, when a co-worker invited me to the Navjote Mubarak (have I got that right? of her two children. The ceremony itself was fascinating, as was the opportunity to learn about Zoroastrianism.

But, oh the food! Rivers, oceans of exotic, delicious fabulous food. (And very large ponds of Johnny Walker Black!) I eagerly await anything you can share about your culinary traditition. That was one heck of a party!

[Ling]

percyn, I've long been a fan of your dinners and breakfasts, so I'm so excited you're posting! My votes are:

-lunch at an Amish restaurant

-Reading Terminal Market

-Parsi dishes

Your cat is the cutest lil thing!

[Pan]

Percy, very happy to see you blogging! Folks, those of you who don't frequent the dinner and breakfast threads have to look through some of their pages to see Percy's amazing creations.

For what it's worth, I'd like to see some Parsi food and a breakfast blowout. As for the rest, I trust you to post things that are fascinating and beautiful.

[handmc]

I have been looking forward to this! Go Percyn!

Edited September 27, 2005 by handmc (log)

[percyn]

Pan, ....shh....you are raising the bar too high

Anyway, I could not go grocery shopping this weekend, so I will swing by my favorite grocery store (Wegmans) and give you a tour later this evening....

[mizducky]

* Lunch at an Amish restaurant

* Visit to an Amish farm

* Tour of Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market

* Philly Cheesesteak Kings

* Breakfast Bonanza

* Special "Parsi dishes" like Dhansak or Sali Gosht or Machi (Fish) nu Sauce

* Typical Indian dishes like Tandoori or Goan Curry Rice

* Other food topics of your choice (please specify)

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Oooooh! Love the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and their food! Love Indian food! Always up for seeing the innards of any major food market. Always up for learning more about the cuisine of a culture I'm not yet familiar with (although I had at least heard of Zoroastrianism before). Heck, all the above choices sound lovely.

And also--love that cute little kitty! (The photo of your deck where she's serenely enthroned in its exact center just cracks me up--so typically cat-like.)

[Pan]

Pan, ....shh....you are raising the bar too high   

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Don't sell yourself short. I wouldn't have written what I did if I wasn't sure you merited my confidence. But if it makes you feel better, even if your photos in this blog suck, I'll still like it.

[MicBacchus]

I am so jealous; your wine cooler is gorgeous - who makes it? When we move, this will definitely go on my list.

My vote is for Parsi, Amish and, oh I don't care - they all sound great! We live near the Amish community in S MD and I frequent the Amish market all summer. It'll be interesting to see what they do with the produce.

[misgabi]

Would like to add a vote for an Amish restaurant, something we absolutely do not have here in Australia.

OT - love the coffee table, what sort of wood is that?

Blog on!

[Jake]

Great to see you blogging, your photos are always hunger inducing.

My votes go for parsi food (please include whatever info and/or links you feel cofortable with that go into the culture, please, please please), and Amish lunch and anything else you would care to regale us with.

Oh, and Peanut looks much more manageable than my 27 lb master of the house - he even bosses the dogs around!

[Susan in FL]

Judging from previous blogs, I guess I am supposed to add the obligatory pictures of kitchen, etc, so here goes...

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Your cabinets are the ones we had in our big remodeled kitchen in Delaware, or at least they look just like them (except some of ours had the glass fronts)! Are they QuakerMaid?

Love your deck, of course, and your Man's Room and wine cooler, too... All of it looks beautiful.

I lived in Media for three years and.....

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Speaking of Media, Percy and/or Kathy, is the Towne House restaurant still in Media? It was owned by a relative of my father's years ago. I have no idea if it is still in the family or even still there.

[percyn]

I have been shopping at Wegmans for the past 6-7 years or so, ever since they opened their store in Princeton, NJ, where we used to live.

While I still visit the farmers market almost every weekend when it is open, I find that Wegmans has a good variety of high quality products.

I appologize in advance for the quality of these pics, as I was not aware of Wegman's policy on taking pictures in the store and did not want to be banned from the store

Towards the right is the bakery with brick oven, center is a sushi bar and on the far left is hot food that their chef's prepare everyday.

Clearer view of the brick oven

Got a little Caramel apple cider frappe freeze as a late afternoon pick-me-up

A variety of mushrooms, which you may see appear in the blog, but unfortunately, they were out of truffles, which I was planning to use in dinner today....oh well, change the menu on the fly..

This is only a very small sampling of their cheese and caviar selection. I remember being at a fromagerie in Paris last year and recognized many of the cheese selections from Wegmans

A decent size International section

And my favorite...the little D'Artagnan section, which is where the ingredients for tonights dinner came from

Some fresh baked bagels which you will see me consume

Great meat and fish selection

Including these bad boys, which were larger than a baby's arm

Also bought some Parisian bread and truffle cheese

OK, should be set for a few days....now on to the cooking...

[KatieLoeb]

Percy, I am so glad you're doing this. And it reinforces that which I already knew - you're a true and passionately dedicated foodie (as well as a gracious and charming dining companion) and a very interesting person.

Blog on, my friend. This is going to be fascinating...

Love the kitty!

[percyn]

On to making dinner.

The menu tonight features duck 2 ways - Foie Gras with fig reduction and Duck breast salad. (I was going to make it Duck 3 ways by adding a duck leg confit served on lentils, but got all ducked out ).

Get knives ready (my current favorite is the Japanese Kershaw Shun 8" Chef knife on the top. The bottom one is a Wusthof Trident 8" Chef's knife)

Score the Foie Gras

Sear in hot copper frying pan (see the smoke?)

Remove foie, sear fresh figs (purchased at farmers market over the weekend), deglace with ice wine

Toast a slice of the Parisian bread, top with some spring greens or firsee, foie and fleur de sel

Drizzle with some of the melted foie and fig reduction and serve with ice wine

Look who came running for some foie

For the main course...a nice healthy (err...yeah... ) salad

Score the duck breast and sear

Chop up some fennel (I know it sounds crazy, but I warned you about my weird tastes)

Finish the duck breast and fennel in a 350F oven

Make a vinaigrette with the rendered duck fat and some truffle oil

Let the duck breast rest and slice

Dress lettuce, top with duck breast and serve

Optionally serve with diced raw fennel and crouton made by toasting a slice of bread and dipping it in the rendered foie fat

You see what I mean by "ducked out"? I was too full and tired to roast the duck leg confit...perhaps one day this week.

[percyn]

I am so jealous; your wine cooler is gorgeous - who makes it?  When we move, this will definitely go on my list.

...

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Thanks, I bought it over the Internet from some company in Canada a few years ago. Works great and is cheaper than the $5000 ones in Wine catalogs.

I still have a few cases of wine stored in my basement. Most of the other loose bottles are in here or in a smaller cooler in the kitchen. I am thinking about buying a second one or a larger one as this is full, despite my best attempts to keep it empty

[percyn]

...

Your cabinets are the ones we had in our big remodeled kitchen in Delaware, or at least they look just like them (except some of ours had the glass fronts)!  Are they QuakerMaid?

Love your deck, of course, and your Man's Room and wine cooler, too...  All of it looks beautiful.

Thanks Susan

I have no idea who the cabinets maker is. Unfortunately, I bought this house when it was 1 yr old, otherwise I would have worked with the architect and builder to put in a lot more features, especially a gas stove. Since everything is less than 5 yrs old, I would feel guilty were I to rip everything out and replace it (though I have done that on a few items).

Speaking of Media, Percy and/or Kathy, is the Towne House restaurant still in Media? It was owned by a relative of my father's years ago. I have no idea if it is still in the family or even still there.

I am not familiar with that restaurant or to be honest that area in general. However, I found this via a google search. http://www.townehouse.com/

Edited September 28, 2005 by percyn (log)

[Daniel]

Percyn:

So excited to read your blog.. I really enjoy the food you make and post.. That duck is gorgeous...

My vote:

Is for anything Amish..

[Chris Amirault]

You see what I mean by "ducked out"? I was too full and tired to roast the duck leg confit...perhaps one day this week.

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My goodness! I'm tired just thinking about that post. Bravo!

What wine did you serve with that meal, Percyn?

[bleudauvergne]

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Dude, that is sweet.

[Susan in FL]

I am not familiar with that restaurant or to be honest that area in general. However, I found this via a google search. http://www.townehouse.com/

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Why thanks, I never thought of searching. Duh.

[percyn]

You see what I mean by "ducked out"? I was too full and tired to roast the duck leg confit...perhaps one day this week.

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My goodness! I'm tired just thinking about that post. Bravo!

What wine did you serve with that meal, Percyn?

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Thanks Chris.

I served a 2000 Siegerrebe Beerenauslese (German Icewine style) with the foie. I was about to open a Pinot Noir for the duck salad, but decided against it...saving it for tomorrow...

Edited September 28, 2005 by percyn (log)

[Megan Blocker]

You see what I mean by "ducked out"? I was too full and tired to roast the duck leg confit...perhaps one day this week.

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My goodness! I'm tired just thinking about that post. Bravo!

What wine did you serve with that meal, Percyn?

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Thanks Chris.

I served a 2000 Siegerrebe Beerenauslese (German Icewine style) with the foie. I was about to open a Pinot Noir for the duck salad, but decided against it...saving it for tomorrow...

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Icewine, Eiswein - however you spell it - YUM!!!! Gorgeous duck, Percy. Can't wait to see what tomorrow holds!

[Mottmott]

There's the duck, where's the eggs? Looks spectacular.

[percyn]

There's the duck, where's  the eggs?    Looks spectacular.

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Patience my friend

[slight offtopic]

BTW, for those watching the season premier of "The Amazing Race" on CBS, the episode was shot in my back yard, so to speak....what timing, to correspond with the premier of the blog

[/slight offtopic]