Some people can’t believe it happens to me, but I get a touch of restaurant burnout sometimes. I wake up in the morning and expect to see a human-sized stick of butter staring me back in the mirror.
This happened to me recently after what was probably the most exciting restaurant week of my life. During a recent seven-day period, I ate at Le Bec-Fin, Vetri and Talula’s Table. (What? My birthday is in May.) Everyone feels the need to detox when they’ve overdone it. Some people juice fast, which is way too extreme for me, but I do switch from a regular lunch to the following midday smoothie. It has less than 300 calories, which is, in my mind at least, a very light lunch.
Restaurant Detox in a Cup
2 ounces silken tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 banana, sliced
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 teaspoon honey
1/3 cup water
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and creamy. Pour into a cold pint glass, garnish with a sprig of mint and do not serve with a sandwich or anything else.
Zahav — chef Michael Solomonov’s latest venture featuring modern Israeli cuisine — opened yesterday in Old City. Oh, you haven’t been yet? We’ll give you a sneak peek. Here, the recipe for Solomonov’s hummus-masbacha, a nutty hummus served with tehina-coated whole chickpeas.
Ingredients
1 lb. dry chickpeas
1 Tbsp. baking soda
1 whole head of garlic with the skin on, plus one clove with the skin removed
2 c. unhulled sesame paste
1/2 c. grapeseed oil
1/2 c. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
3/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil (preferably from Turkey or Israel)
Kosher salt, to taste
Ground cumin, to taste
1/4 c. chopped Italian parsley
To make hummus: Soak chickpeas and baking soda with at least double their volume of water for 18 hours in refrigerator. Drain the chickpeas and rinse thoroughly in cold water. Place the chickpeas in a large pot with whole head of garlic and cover with water. Over high heat, bring water to a boil; reduce the heat to low and simmer chickpeas until very tender, approximately 3 hours. Drain chickpeas, reserving one cup of the cooking liquid. Discard garlic bulb. In food processor, add 1 1/2 cups sesame paste and all but 1 cup cooked chickpeas. Puree the mixture with grapeseed oil and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Add enough reserved cooking liquid to achieve a smooth, creamy consistency. Season to taste with kosher salt and ground cumin.
To make tehina: Combine the remaining lemon juice and sesame paste with garlic clove and 1/2 cup of warm water in a blender. Blend at high speed until smooth; add 1/2 cup olive oil. If the puree is too tight, adjust the consistency with additional warm water. Season to taste with kosher salt and ground cumin.
To serve: Spoon hummus into a large shallow bowl, creating well in the center of the hummus. In a mixing bowl, toss the reserved chickpeas with tehina. Spoon dressed chickpeas into the well. Garnish with chopped parsley and remaining olive oil. Serve immediately. Serves 6.
So it’s not exactly sit on the porch with a cold glass of lemonade weather, yet, but with this Spring Spritzer from the winemakers at Chaddsford Winery those lazy summer days are literally so close you can taste them.
Spring Spritzer
1 750 ml. bottle Chaddsford Spring Wine (shown)
1 12 oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 cups club soda
Sliced strawberries and limes
In a punch bowl, mix wine, lemonade and sugar. Slowly stir in club soda. Garnish with limes and strawberries. Chill. Serves 8-10.
The Chesapeake’s waters are finally warming up, which means it’s blue crab season. And Tinto’s chef/owner Jose Garces’ recipe for txangurro (that’s crab) salad is the perfect way to enjoy the handpicked jumbo lump meat. (Don’t worry, you’ve got time. The blue-crab season will last through the end of November.)
Txangurro Salad
1 1/2 pounds jumbo lump crab
1/4 cup chives, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 shallots, finely chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup crème fraiche
1/2 cup mayonnaisse
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 lemon, juiced and zested
8 baguette slices, toasted
1 avocado, sliced
In medium-sized bowl, combine all ingredients except baguette slices and avocado. Serve on a baguette slice with a slice of avocado. Serves 8.
Spring is here, which means asparagus has just about reached the height of its growing season. Next Wednesday, at his bi-weekly Chef’s Table dinner, chef Dan Bethard of West Chester’s Iron Hill Brewery will pay homage to this classic spring veggie with a fresh, not-too-creamy, asparagus soup. He shared the oh-so-easy recipe with us.
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup garlic cloves
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 c. chopped Vidalia onions
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 lbs. asparagus
3 c. chicken broth
1 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. lemon juice
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
2 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In an oven-proof pan, combine olive oil and garlic. Cover and bake until garlic is soft, about 20 minutes. Cool. Strain oil, discarding garlic. (Garlic oil can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.)
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Trim asparagus, removing and reserving asparagus tops. Blanch asparagus spears in boiling water for 45 seconds or until asparagus turn bright green. Remove and plunge into ice water.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add garlic and sauté 2 more minutes (Do not brown garlic.) Add asparagus spears and chicken broth. Increase heat to bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the asparagus becomes tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Using an immersion blender, purée soup until smooth. Add heavy cream and return to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Strain soup.
To serve, divide soup between six bowls. Top each with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano. 1 teaspoon garlic oil, and several reserved asparagus tops.
I started hearing about quinoa when one of my friends started seeing a nutritionist. She and I learned that quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is an ancient grain that’s high in protein with a beneficial balance of amino acids. You can find quinoa at health food stores like Essene and Whole Foods, but in recent years I’ve seen it on restaurant menus.
When Copper in Northern Liberties first opened, they served a watery risotto based on the stuff. Sadly, it tasted as bad as you think a “superfood” would. (It was also quickly yanked from the menu.) But this wasn’t quinoa’s fault. Some kitchens know how to render it delicious. Quinoa also pops up on Bistro 7’s oft-changing menu. There, it’s often prepped pilaf style, which helps its nutty flavor and chewy texture shine. And if you’re looking to make it at home, I recommend this Epicurious.com recipe, originally from Gourmet. The salad’s bright flavors are just the taste of summer most of us really need right now.
All Philadelphians know that these popular St. Patrick’s Day treats have little do to with potatoes or the Irish. What they might not know is that the city’s confectioners are rolling up their own sweet twists on this coconut cream candies.
The Original Asher’s traditional recipe of sugar and coconut rolled in cinnamon has been a Philadelphia mainstay for over a hundred years.
The Fancy Spud
The gussied-up potatoes coming out of Emerald Confections’ Mayfair kitchen (pictured) are creamier than the original variety and dipped in milk, dark, white or mint chocolate. And they’ve shared the recipe with us. (below)
The Cold Potato
Pick your favorite ice cream (vanilla lends the purest flavor) and Center City’s Scoop DeVille will blend in shredded coconut, cinnamon and, of course, house-made Irish potatoes.
In a bowl, mix cream cheese, butter, sugar and coconut. Chill until firm, about 2 hours. Roll into quarter-sized balls, then roll in cinnamon. Makes 50 Irish potatoes.
Photo, Zoey Sless-Kitain
As the winter truffle season comes to end — winter black truffles are typically available from mid-November to mid-March — Alison Barshak, chef-owner of Alison at Blue Bell shares a favorite recipe for these extravagant mushrooms. Thankfully, her truffled grits call for slightly less expensive black truffle butter and oil. Barshak typically pairs the truffled grits with a pan-seared filet of halibut.
Truffled Grits From Alison Barshak
1 cup grits
12 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more salt to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons black truffle butter
Black pepper, to taste
Black truffle oil, to taste
Wash grits with cold water several times to remove impurities. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine washed grits, vegetable stock and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture thickens. Add butter and truffle butter. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with truffle oil. Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish.
Image, wikimedia.org
Le Bernadin executive pastry chef Michael Laiskonis is consulting on Ripert’s latest project — 10 Arts, scheduled to open in the Ritz-Carlton in May. So, he’s been playing around with the most classic of Philly pastries, the Tastykake.
On his lovely new blog, Laiskonis raises this important question: “What the hell is a Tastykake?” Then he goes to work with Vanilla Cream Kakes, Kandy Kakes, a blender, a Silpat, and an ice cream maker. The results: Pineapple Coconut Tastykakes (that is, a citrus biscuit, coconut sorbet, and vanilla-and star anise-infused pineapple juice with molded Tastykake cream, Tastykake tuile and Tastykake crouton, shown) and Malted Peanut Tastykakes (malted Tastykake ice cream with peanut butter powder).
No guarantees they’ll make the menu, but ambitious home chefs can follow Laiskonis’s detailed recipes.
It seems no matter which New Year you celebrate, the New Year’s Eve dinner binge and New Year’s Day resolution to eat healthy is universal. According to chef Joseph Poon, a healthy dish is traditionally served on the first day of the Chinese New Year — that’s tomorrow — after tonight’s characteristically decadent New Year’s Eve banquet-style meal. So whether you are celebrating the Year of the Rat, or you’re just trying to get back on your 2008 diet plan, try chef Poon’s recipe for an antioxidant- and protein-packed stir-fry.
Some people can’t believe it happens to me, but I get a touch of restaurant burnout sometimes. I wake up in the morning and expect to see a human-sized stick of butter staring me back in the mirror. 
So it’s not exactly sit on the porch with a cold glass of lemonade weather, yet, but with this Spring Spritzer from the winemakers at 
The Chesapeake’s waters are finally warming up, which means it’s blue crab season. And 
Spring is here, which means asparagus has just about reached the height of its growing season. Next Wednesday, at his bi-weekly Chef’s Table dinner, chef Dan Bethard of West Chester’s Iron Hill Brewery will pay homage to this classic spring veggie with a fresh, not-too-creamy, asparagus soup. He shared the oh-so-easy recipe with us.
I started hearing about quinoa when one of my friends started seeing a nutritionist. She and I learned that quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is an ancient grain that’s high in protein with a beneficial balance of amino acids. You can find quinoa at health food stores like Essene and Whole Foods, but in recent years I’ve seen it on restaurant menus. 
All Philadelphians know that these popular St. Patrick’s Day treats have little do to with potatoes or the Irish. What they might not know is that the city’s confectioners are rolling up their own sweet twists on this coconut cream candies. 
As the winter truffle season comes to end — winter black truffles are typically available from mid-November to mid-March — Alison Barshak, chef-owner of 
Le Bernadin executive pastry chef Michael Laiskonis is consulting on Ripert’s latest project — 10 Arts, scheduled to open in the Ritz-Carlton in May. So, he’s been playing around with the most classic of Philly pastries, the Tastykake. 
It seems no matter which New Year you celebrate, the New Year’s Eve dinner binge and New Year’s Day resolution to eat healthy is universal. According to chef Joseph Poon, a healthy dish is traditionally served on the first day of the Chinese New Year — that’s tomorrow — after tonight’s characteristically decadent New Year’s Eve banquet-style meal. So whether you are celebrating the Year of the Rat, or you’re just trying to get back on your 2008 diet plan, try chef Poon’s recipe for an antioxidant- and protein-packed stir-fry.