Category Archives: Food

Tandoori Cod

We love getting fresh cod from Shore Catch at the Rittenhouse Farmers’ Market, but sometimes I need a new recipe in order to mix things up. This time I turned to the New Scandinavian Cooking website and found a nice recipe for Tandoori Cod. If you haven’t seen New Scandinavian Cooking, it’s well worth a watch; the recipes are usually interesting, the show features beautiful Scandinavian landscapes, and the hosts are often unintentionally quite funny.

I made my own Tandoori spice mix, based on researching a variety of different versions and combining what they all had in common (and what I had in my pantry): 1 teaspoon each of turmeric, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, garam masala, ginger, and garlic, with a few grinds each of salt and pepper. This made more than enough, so I ended up using about half and saving the other half for another time. This particular version is quite spicy, but you could cut down on or eliminate the cayenne if you want a milder version.

I coated the fish with olive oil, rubbed it with the spice mix, and baked at 400 F for 20 minutes. Very simple, and it gave us a different way to enjoy our lovely, flaky Shore Catch cod.

Cioppino

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Neither of us were familiar with Rockfish, but we were curious about it one Saturday when Otolith Sustainable Seafood was selling it at the Rittenhouse Farmers’ Market. We asked about what it is like and the purveyor explained that it was a firm white fish that holds up well to a lot of flavor and suggested it was good for fish stews. I happen to be a big fan of Cioppino and Brodetto, so we decided to try to make a fish stew and I am glad we did because it turned out fantastic.

At the time we bought the Rockfish, we also picked up some shrimp from Otolith and then bought some clams from Di Bruno Bros.

I loosely based our stew on this cioppino recipe from the Food Network. I made some slight variations, but the amounts were pretty much the same as in the recipe. The process is somewhat time consuming but pretty easy.

I began by frying some onions and after they cooked for a while, added garlic and crushed red pepper. After that cooked a bit, I added tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and wine. We didn’t have any fish stock, so I used a combination of chicken broth and clam juice and it worked just fine. I also did not have a bay leaf and had no substitute. I did add some dried basil and oregano. I let all that simmer for about 1/2 an hour.

At the end of the half hour, I added the clams until they opened and removed them.

I then added the shrimp and Rockfish and cooked them for about 5 minutes until done. I added the clams back in and then served it in bowls with a nice hunk of bread.

I look forward to trying a fish stew again in the near future. I would like to try it with proper fish stock and a bay leaf. I feel lucky that we have access to such great fresh seafood which will make this dish a success even in light of some minor compromises.

Book Review: Di Bruno Bros House of Cheese

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About a month ago, we received this very special book, Di Bruno Bros House of Cheese, by Tenaya Darlington. We are huge fans of Di Bruno Bros, our local cheese store, so we have been eagerly awaiting the book’s release. I have read it cover-to-cover and am very impressed; I think it is exceptionally well-written, and indeed one of the most enjoyable food books I’ve read in recent memory. The excellent photographs by Philadelphia local (and an alum of Drexel University’s Westphal College of Media Arts and Design) Jason Varney make the book a pleasure to look at (read: drool over) as well as consult.

After reading the book, one of the first cheeses we ran out to buy from Di Bruno Bros was this lovely Berkswell

The book is organized by cheese “personalities” rather than specific style, dairy type, or region, which I think works really well. I confess that I don’t care for this method of organization when it comes to wine, since in the case of wine I’m more apt to know exactly what I want, but it works for me when it comes to cheese, because I have much less specific knowledge and would definitely be looking for cheese to match a certain mood or function. I think this organization not only makes the book more accessible, but it also makes it easier to design well-rounded cheese plates that showcase a variety of styles and flavors.

Cheese plate at Resurrection Ale House in Philadelphia: Midnight Moon, Kunik, and Rogue Smokey Blue (all featured in the House of Cheese book)

Each cheese entry has associated food and beverage pairings, which I think are fantastic. In the beginning of the book, I was pleased to find so many cheeses that pair with sparkling wine and rosé, since summer is coming up and that’s what I’m bound to have on hand. As I progressed through the book to some of the bolder personalities, I was equally pleased to find plenty of pairings with red wine, dark beers, and even cocktails and spirits. The gin pairings were a special thrill, as I never would have imagined such a thing; I look forward to picking up some Juni or Pecorino Ginepro to try them out! There is definitely something for everyone and for every occasion in here. Some of the craft beers mentioned in the book are more specific to the Philadelphia region, which on the one hand adds to the book’s local character, but on the other hand might not be as accessible in other parts of the country. The only thing I wish it had was a sort of “reverse-pairing” index in the back, to co-locate all the cheeses that go with a certain wine, for example, but perhaps that’s just the librarian in me.

Jet Wine Bar in Philadelphia offers many of the cheeses in the book: this plate features gorgonzola dolce, morbier, and truffle tremor

The cheese profiles are interspersed with great recipes, serving tips, anecdotes, and all kinds of useful information. Each chapter has a cheese board suggestion, as well as an educational “Cheese 101,” such as how to pair cheese with beer. When I first opened the book, I jumped straight to a section on “how to taste cheese,” so I could learn more about the descriptors before I even started reading.

Talula’s Garden is another great place in Philadelphia to try many of the cheeses in the book: this plate features La Tur and Testun al Barolo among others

Although I was familiar with maybe 20-25% of the cheeses in the book, there were so many more that I hadn’t tried that I enjoyed reading about. I’m actually quite inspired to start a project to try all the cheese in the book I can that I haven’t already had (with the associated pairings!). Some of them are featured on cheese boards of local restaurants, but I feel so lucky that I’ll be able to try most of these at my local Di Bruno Bros.

One of our recent shopping trips to Di Bruno Bros

I feel like I learned a lot by reading the book, not only about specific cheeses and pairings, but also about cheese styles and cheese making in general. I learned more about the people behind the cheese making process and the people behind the cheese counter, many of whom I have an opportunity to meet in person, between Di Bruno Bros and the local cheese makers who visit Philadelphia farmers’ markets. I learned more about the Di Bruno Bros approach to cheese, which explains why I see certain cheeses at their stores and not others.

This particular cheese is not in the book, but we learned much about local dairy farm Birchrun Hills in the book, and then had the opportunity to try their cheese at the Headhouse Farmers’ Market.

Though we were fortunate to receive a complimentary print copy, I also ended up purchasing an ebook copy so that I can reference it on my phone while I’m cheese shopping or dining out.

Since finishing the book, I’ve already tried several new cheeses from the book at Di Bruno Bros (Berkswell and Isle of Mull), at Headhouse Farmers’ Market (Birchrun Hills Fat Cat and Blue) and on cheese plates while dining out (La Serena). Tom and I look forward to making our way through more cheeses in the book, as well as trying out the recipes and parings, and chronicling them here on the blog.

Di Bruno Bros. Cheese Guide: Wedges, Pairings, and Recipes from Philadelphia’s House of Cheese

Spring Brunch with Eggs, Asparagus and Duck Prosciutto

San Francisco Trip

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We’ve been back from San Francisco for a couple of weeks now, so we’re overdue for posting about our eating adventures there. We were there only for a little over two days, so we didn’t get to explore much but found plenty to enjoy.

Shortly after we arrived on a Tuesday afternoon, we went to the Ferry Building. Holly had been there before, but I had not. It’s an indoor market similar to our local Reading Terminal Market, only more posh. We wanted to sit out by the water for a late lunch and ended up at Hog Island Oyster Co. We shared a bowl of San Francisco Clam Chowder and a great salad with Little Gem lettuce, strawberries, fuji apples and hazelnuts. It was a lovely afternoon of enjoying lunch and some wine while sitting by the bay.

Clam Chowder at Hog Island

Little Gem Salad at Hog Island

However, as the afternoon progressed, it started to get chilly, so we migrated inside the Ferry Building and luxuriated over wine flights at the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant. While we were there, Holly picked up a bottle of No. 209 Gin, one of her favorites from her west coast life.

Wine Flights at Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant

We hadn’t done much planning as far as meals went, so we went back to our hotel room to research a place for dinner. We didn’t feel like wandering far and found Colibrí Mexican Cuisine. One of our goals while in California was to get our fill of Mexican food, so we were easily convinced to give it a try. They have an incredible Tequila selection and make some inventive drinks with them. Unfortunately, they don’t list their drink menu on their web site, so I can’t get my facts straight, but their cocktails are excellent.

We began our meal by sharing the fish tacos. I had the prawns with a tamarind mole sauce with a corn cake, and Holly had pan seared duck breast in a delicious green mole sauce made with pumpkin seeds, tomatillos, nuts and spices.

Fish Tacos at Colibri

Alas, Colibrí is a rather dark restaurant, so we don’t have much in the way of pictures.

On Wednesday, we went to breakfast at Sears Fine Food. Holly had the famous 18 Swedish pancakes which come with lingonberries. Another goal was to have as much seafood as possible, so I had the seafood omelet that was stuffed with crab and shrimp.

18 Swedish Pancakes at Sears Fine Foods

Holly then had to go to her conference, so I spent the morning in Golden Gate Park, primarily to go to the deYoung Museum but I also went to the Japanese Tea Garden. I found myself getting rather frustrated in the tea garden because it was overrun with barely supervised school children. It was certainly harshing my Zen. I decided to head back to the hotel to find a place for lunch. I actually wound up getting back around 2 and a lot of nearby places were closed between lunch and dinner, so I wound up back at Colibrí. We had dinner plans, so I just had the Pozole Verde. Colibrí also serves complimentary torillas with 3 different kinds of salsas, so it made for a nice lunch. I may have had a Tequila cocktail or two. I went back to the hotel room to wait for Holly to get done with her conference. By the time she was done, we still had a couple of hours before dinner and she was curious about the drinks I had at Colibrí, so we went back yet again. It was a nice reminder that we really enjoy good Tequila and that we need to get to Xochitl and Distrito more often!

After our afternoon cocktails, we met up with an old friend of Holly’s who took us out of the downtown area and to B Star Bar in Inner Richmond. B Star is a small and excellent Burmese restaurant. We shared several dishes, most notably the Tea Leaf Salad, the Samusa Soup, the Pumpkin Pork Stew and the Ox Tail with shiitake mushrooms and gai lan over mashed potatoes.

Thursday, we went to breakfast at Dottie’s True Blue Cafe. Holly had the Black Bean Cakes with eggs, grilled cheddar corn bread and home fries. I had the Lamb Merguez Sausage, Roasted Garlic, Tomato, Spinach and Goat Cheese Omelet. I also swapped out my toast for the grilled cheddar corn bread. Everything was delicious and the coffee was notably good.

Black Bean Cakes and Eggs at Dottie’s

Lamb Merguez Sausage Omelet at Dottie’s

For lunch, I had plans to meet an old friend, and conveniently, our lunch plans coincided with Holly’s lunch break at the conference. We met at Johnny Foley’s which is a fairly standard Irish Pub. It was good but nothing exceptional and nothing we can’t get at home.

We ended our trip on a high note at Pesce in the Russian Hill neighborhood. It serves food in a Venetian cicchetti style similar to our local C19 but with a greater emphasis on seafood. Holly and I really enjoy places that focus on small plates because we like to try a lot of things. We loved everything at Pesce, especially the Melanzane (Grilled eggplant, taleggio chesse, tomato-basil vinaigrette), the Cioppino, the Grilled Asparagus, and the Biscotti with Vin Santo for dessert. We’re still trying to figure out why we never see Biscotti and Vin Santo on the east coast. It’s not like there aren’t a million Italian restaurants in Philadelphia.

Grilled Asparagus at Pesce

Melazane at Pesce

Biscotti and Vin Santo at Pesce

Although short, the trip was a success despite the fact that we didn’t plan anything. Our next big trip will be Chicago at the end of June and we’ve both been there a few times and know we’ll have a great time. Until then, all Philly all the time.

SuperPlus Eats Philly

Holly and Tom Eating and Drinking in Philadelphia