Philadelphia's first Secret Supper

A few weeks ago, I had the great pleasure and opportunity to attend Philadelphia’s first Secret Supper with Chef Barbie Marshall which was hosted by the ever-entertaining Dish CrawlPhiladelphia organization and Tap Room on 19^th in South Philly.
If you haven’t had a chance to stop by and check out the place, please do as soon as you can! Their simple-pickup-style cocktail selection is sure to please any cocktail lover, or someone just looking to get into the scene (I suggest their cider and whiskey!); they also have a phenomenal beer selection, of which I sampled the aged pale ale (which was the most perfect balance of sour I have ever had).
I was able to spend a lot of time talking to the Mixologist (Ross Maloof) and the General Manager (Craig Steel) about the drink selection and both were very excited about their pairing for the night.The first three courses were paired with cocktails, followed by a Yards IPA and a 2010 Merlot from Ostancia. Dessert was paired with “Lucky 7” from Evolution Craft Brewing Co.
First up was an Amuse of chicken and waffles. This first course was meant to wow all the guests, and Chef Barbie nailed it. This little two-bite wonder left everyone chanting for more – I think if she had just served chicken and waffles all night everyone would have been happy! The juicy deep fried chicken paired perfectly with the cast iron cornmeal waffles. I will have to confess there were a few extras left over…. And I ate them all.Course one came out as a cold dish. The fennel and citrus wintergreen salad was quite a surprise. Chef explained that this particular variety of wintergreen was more sweet than bitter; and paired with a citrus fennel dressing, it just got sweeter. This dish was paired with a cocktail composed of Bison Grass vodka, Crème de Violette, and tarragon. With all these dainty green notes floating around the semi-bitter radicchio, you could really explore the finer points of the local wintergreen.Course two was one of my favorites. A light puree of Padanna squash soup which was garnished with Pickled Neck Pumpkin and black pepper cream. There were also some pepitas thrown on top for a further enhancement. This dish was paired with a house-made cider and whiskey in a mug. Personally, I love the combination of squash and apple so having both items be locally sourced was just a far out experience.Course three presented itself as a trio risotto balls with Arancini and Tallegio. Displayed on a bed of basil flower tomato sauce these little bundles of joy were accented with local saffron (yes, local saffron!). Chef Barbie explained that the local variety isn’t as potent as the imported ones, but that just means you can use more! This was paired with a white whiskey ginger accented with a burnt orange garnish – which was my favorite course by far.The cocktail with orange and ginger was able to cut through the fattiness of the risotto and cheese perfectly. The result was experiencing the dish for the first time, every time. Simply put “fantastic.”Course four  was a real authentic Pennsylvania dish paired with one of the most popular local brews. This was really PA to the core. If you’ve never had the opportunity to have a Lancaster “Pot Pie” you have missed a treat! Unlike your traditional pot pies, the Lancaster variety contains no roux or any actual pie for that matter. It’s a fresh pasta-based dish with poached chicken, served with braised greens and without a pie crust. This was a totally different experience for me, but a profound one to say the least. The combination was so light and joyful and the Yards IPA that it was paired with added the weight it needed to feel satisfactory. If anything, this was more like a chicken noodle soup with some amazing local greens than a pot pie – but I could eat it ALL day.Course five  wound up being a seasonal meatloaf paired with a Merlot. HOWEVER, this isn’t your ordinary beef loaf, no my friends, this was nothing less than the great American turkey! That’s right; Chef Barbie took some local turkey and turned it into this incredible delicatessen. The loaf was served with a simple cranberry chutney, glazed carrots, and mashed root veg.
What really brought this dish together was the root vegetable blend, which contained something I’ve never experienced – Parsley Root. So, imagine the aromatics of a parsley stem and a parsnip together with the starchiness of a carrot. This was local comfort food to a tee! As I looked around the room, I was hard pressed to find a face that wasn’t smiling with satisfaction.



Course six, the last course, was of course dessert! Chef Barbie flexed her culinary muscles a bit and explored the world of cheesecake. The thick slice of cake came out with a hickory nut brittle covering the top, set on a basic caramel sauce. Chef Barbie also went on to explain that hickory nuts represent fertility. She explained that the Pennsylvania Dutch chose to settle in this area based on the healthy abundance of hickory trees. This fact really spoke to her as she was building her dishes. I will have to say that pairing that with a smoked porter was fantas-tic-al! Sweet and Smokey are one of my favorite combinations in the food world and it was a good end to the menu progression. 





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Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

Hi all!

Sorry I haven’t been posting as frequently as I usually do. Life gets the better of me every now and again; but I’m back with more delicious pumpkin recipes.

This dish is about as seasonal as it’s going to get at the moment. I hope you can also see that I’m linking thing’s I’m using with previous recipes so that you can follow along with my fridge. The idea behind this is to show you how much easier you can make your food and how much better it can be by simply setting yourself up and knowing how to use what you have on hand.

I’ve become a big fan of sweet and spicy combinations and I think this soup is a great introduction to the flavor combination. The soup itself is pretty simple to make, but I chose to serve it in a modern fashion where the soup is poured into a pre-garnished bowl; as opposed to having it on top. So if you want to skip the garnish, it’s really easy.

The soup is pureed at the end, so uniform cuts aren’t really important here at all. All these specifics of slices and dices are there for your understanding. Just know that you want to keep them all the same size so they cook evenly – that’s the key here.  

This is a great way to serve soup to guests! However, if you want to skip all the fanciness, just serve it straight with some fresh hearty bread and it will be sure to please.

Squash and sweet potato soup

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

Squash and sweet potato soup

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 large Spanish onions (sliced)

2 large carrots (diced)

1 stalk celery (diced)

3 cloves garlic (sliced) or 2 T minced garlic (jarred)

1 Thai chili (or jalapeno) (diced)

1 tsp siracha

¼ tsp vanilla

1 Quart butternut squash (diced)

2 Quarts pumpkin (diced)

1 Apple (diced)

1 pinch celery seed

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp dark chili powder

2 quarts stock (vegetable or chicken)

4 sweet potatos (diced)

Salt

Pepper

Apple Ricotta

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 Tablespoon apple butter

1 tsp olive oil

2 leaves sage (fresh) (chiffonade)

Pepper garnish

1 Tablespoon pickled Anaheim pepper (diced)

2 Tablespoons pickled red onion (diced)

¼ cup sweet and salty pumpkin seeds (chopped fine)

½ Tablespoon parsley (chiffonade)

1 tsp olive oil

2 teaspoons dried cranberry (diced small)

Directions:

Squash and sweet potato soup

1. In a large pot over medium heat, sweat off carrots, onions, and celery until the onions are almost translucent; add the garlic and chili pepper until onions become clear.
2. Add vanilla and siracha and stir until incorporated.
3. Add your squashes and apple; stir occasionally until they begin to give off steam and begin to caramelize.
4. Add celery seed, sweet paprika, chili powder. Stir in until it coats everything.
5. Add your sweet potatoes and stock.
6. Allow to come to a boil and then bring the heat down to a simmer.
7. Cook soup until potatoes are fork soft (about 1 hour).
8. In small batches, blend in a blender until smooth and carry through a strainer to remove any fibrous strands that remain.
9. Once the entire mixture is blended, add back into the pot on low heat and season to taste.

Apple Ricotta

1. Push ricotta cheese through mesh strainer before using.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix until incorporated
3. Hint: use your tabletop mixer paddle attachment to make this more fluffy and smooth.

Pepper Garnish

1. Combine all ingredients and mix until incorporated
2. Hint: Do a really fine chop on the seeds, or substitute with pepitas. 

Vegan Chili

This wonderful crisp fall weather has me hankering for some mean chili. I think this hits just the right spot! 

There’s a good solid heat that still lets the beautiful marriage of ingredients to shine.

For me chili is really a celebration of the pepper; and I chose to use many different forms of it in order to build the unique flavor profile that is the result. I know this particular recipe is pretty intense in the ingredient list, but I do think it will be the best vegi chili you’ve ever had.

As far as the ingredients are concerned, feel free to mess around with them a bit. Like for example, if you don’t have the varieties of peppers or powders, just use whatever you can get – just keep the ratios the same and you should have a fantastic chili.

I chose to display this particular dish on a cheese crustini with a basil leaf garnish. However, I’d say that serving it hot in a bowl with some Mexican or cheddar cheese would be the most common. The fat content of cheese cuts through the spiciness and provides relief if it’s too spicy for your liking. You can also enjoy this irresponsibly with a few beers (of which I highly suggest).

This also serves as a great basis for some huevos rancheros. Just heat up the beans and put in a bowl. Top with some onions, salsa, avocado, sunny side up egg, and cilantro or parsley. Extra points for some melted Oaxaca cheese on top of all of this!

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons coconut oil

6 crimini mushrooms (sliced

6 shiitake mushrooms (sliced and destemmed)

4 medium onion (diced)

3 stalk celery (diced)

2 carrots (diced)

1 roasted red pepper (diced)

1 roasted publano pepper (diced)

1 pickled Anaheim pepper (diced)

4 cloves garlic (sliced)

4 tsp sriracha sauce

2 tsp mustard

2 dried Serrano chiles (chopped)

2 bay leaves

2 Tablespoons dark chili powder

3 Tablespoons cumin

1 teaspoon coriander (ground)

2 tsp smoked sweet paprika

1 tsp hot paprika

2 Tablespoons dried pequin peppers (chopped)

1 tsp cayenne

1 beer (lager)

2 tsp capers

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)

4 cups tomato herb sauce

1 med can tomato puree or whole tomato

2 tsp oregano (dry)

½ tsp basil (dry)

Directions:

1. Heat up a large pot to medium heat.
2. Put your coconut oil in the pot and allow to heat up (about 30 seconds). Add mushrooms.
3. Allow mushrooms to brown. Stir occasionally to ensure even browning on product. They should be ready when they look like the picture below.

1. Once mushrooms have browned, add the following: onion, celery, carrot, peppers, and garlic. Reduce to medium/low heat. Cook until onions become translucent.
2. Add your spices: sriracha, mustard, serranos, bay leaves, dark chili powder, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, hot paprika, pequin peppers, and cayenne. Allow to absorb into the oil/liquid. Stir occasionally.
3. Once incorporated fully, add vinegar, capers, and beer. Allow to simmer and reduce. You’re ready to move to the next step once it looks like the picture below.

1. Add your beans and tomato sauces. Allow to simmer for 1-2 hours.
2. Finish with herbs before serving. Use fresh if you can (preferably). 

Pickled Peaches and Anaheim Peppers

Pickled Peaches and Anaheim Peppers

So summer is ending (we’re all sad), but there is still an abundance to be had! Late summer produce is still available and technically in-season. I think pickling some fruit is in order is it not?

I did this probably a month and a half ago and I think I’ve got about a week to two weeks of shelf life left in it before I have to toss it or freeze it now – I can’t stand throwing food out. However, I should mention that the produce I used was kind of on the verge of spoiling within a few days (that’s why I preserved it). So if you use some ripe fruit and peppers, you should be able to add a few more weeks on there… hey that’s basically Christmas. Just saying, times are tough and quality food is hard to come by these days. It’s really visual and if you put it in a tall or big jar, it looks amazing.

Ok, so uses. I’ve used this in cold salads, soups, sauces, and sauté dishes. First you have to understand a bit about the flavor that you’re working with here and that is sweet and hot. This is basically going to elevate your senses in any dish and should be used on the sparing side as an additive into a dish.

Curiously enough, within the first few days, the peach is still quite sweet and can truly be utilized as a puree, base for a drink, even peach salsa works here.

Cold dishes – I’d lean more towards using the peppers since you can straight substitute them in any recipe. Keep in mind that you are still dealing with a pepper or a peach here and should be treated as such. I’ve added the peach in a few dishes, but it winds up being more pickled than peach as it progresses through the aging.

Soups – this may surprise you, but I use the liquid in soups before it starts to simmer. The vinegar adds acidity and reduces down to sweetness so depending on what time you put it in depends really on how it will add to it. But, it will add such a dimension of flavor to your soup that it’s insane. This little trick will blow your socks off and give you a great use for the liquid.

Sauces – Same thing as mentioned before with the liquid. You can also utilize the pepper for some added complexity (almost as you would a pepper sauce) in your sauce building. You will tend to get a bit more concentrated flavor if you cook it. The sugars from the apple cider vinegar will also reduce and create a sweet aspect (be careful not to burn it!)

Sautés – I use both for this application. I would say to add them right at the end though. The bigger the cut, the more concentrated the flavor is within the pickle; but if you cut/slice it small it tends to become a part of the natural juices. I love pairing the peaches with pork, fresh peppers, sliced onions, garlic, and some dark leafy greens. The pickled peppers also go very nicely with some sautéed kale, or braised collards. They really bring out some notes you usually skip over when you don’t include this level of acidity.

Ingredients:

4 peaches (pitted and cut into 12 portions)

6 Anaheim peppers (sliced in half - color doesn’t matter)

1 sprig sage

2 tsp cumin

4 Tablespoons pickling spice

¼ c sea salt

1 ½  quarts apple cider vinegar

½ quart water

Medium pot

Jar(s) that will fit all the product enough to be covered

Directions:

1. Place pan on med/high heat.
2. Begin slicing your peppers in half while you wait for the pan to warm.
3. Once the pan is hot, put your spices in.
4. Toss the spices around in the pan until you can start to smell them toasting (about 1-2 minutes).
5. Add your vinegar, water and salt. Bring to a boil
6. While you are waiting for this mixture to boil, cut down your peaches.
7. Place product in container(s). IMPORTANT NOTE: if using glass, put a towel underneath it so it doesn’t get too hot that it cracks the counter (I’ve seen it happen at home).
8. Once boiled either strain or keep the pickling spice in the liquid.
9. Pour liquid into containers, enough to cover product.
10. Let sit in the fridge for 36 hours ideally before enjoying.

Gluten-free Mexican Veggie Burgers

Going with my g-free theme this month I would like to present my Mexican veggie burgers of the gluten-free variety. This is a pretty standard recipe that I do basically once a week and do a large batch of veggie burgers. I also tend to have a heartier style patty. If you want a more traditional falafel style burger, take a quarter of the ingredients and blend in a blender until smooth, then simply add back into the mixture.

Utilize this recipe with pickled veggies, burger buns, and salads. Feel free to create variations and explore what you have in season! I also chose to top this dish with Lemon-Mustard Braised Greens, instead of a crudité or pickled something or other. No particular reason, just switching it up. Will be posting later on about variations and whatnot. 

Ingredients:

1 #5 can beans, pinto (or cannellini)

1 #5 can beans, black

½ c. Quinoa (cooked)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

1 Zest of lime

1 Celery Stalk diced (about ¾ cup)

1 Bunch diced asparagus ends (save the tips for something else!)

½ Red onion (diced)

1 C. Pickled veg (chopped)

7oz Chipolte De Moreno (diced)

1/3 C. Corn meal

1 C. G-free flour

¼ C. Corn starch               

½ C. G-free breadcrumb

2 Eggs (whole)

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. cumin (ground)

1 Tbls. Pepper

¼ tsp. Celery seed

1 Tbls. Siracha

2 tsp. salt

Directions:

1.  Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl

2. Mix with hands until fully incorporated

3. Test seasoning and consistency with small meat ball sized patty before doing whole batch

4. Using a 3oz ice-cream scoop, portion out patties

5. Sear in non-stick pan with olive or coconut oil

6. Serve on toasted bun