tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76270726353653339652024-03-13T07:56:43.292-04:00Eatin' Good in the Hoodeatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-76961386560055035392012-06-03T18:42:00.002-04:002012-06-03T19:36:51.629-04:00Salt and Vinegar PotatoesYou've seen these in the <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/grilled-salt-vinegar-potatoes-recipe.html" target="_blank">Blogosphere</a>, right? Potatoes boiled in vinegar until fork tender (try not to take deep breaths while over the pot - that vinegar will make you cry) then covered in olive oil, salt and pepper and thrown on the grill.<br />
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We finally got to gardening today and broke out the grill for the first time this year. Although our tailgate grill has already gotten a workout, our backyard grill has hardly been used since we bought it last summer. It has been hiding under a cover for months - but now that our little concrete slab back yard is looking up to snuff (See? Behind the potatoes!) I'm sure I'll be taking a break from the oven and using it much more!<br />
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Next time you make potatoes you should make these potatoes - really. Yum.<br />
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BTW tomorrow I turn 30 but I'm totally cool with it guys. Really, totally cool. Really. Kind of. Not really at all. Holy crap.eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-55190571063930034842012-05-24T10:05:00.000-04:002012-05-25T09:57:48.936-04:00Guest Blog: Kimchi!<em>Ron can't get enough Kimchi and he's kind of in love with David Chang. He eats so much of this stuff that I swear it seeps from his pores.</em><br />
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<em>See? He REALLY loves it! Needless to say, I recommend eating slightly less than he does. On that note, here's my very first guest blog. Take it away Ron!</em><br />
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Hey y’all! I’m Ron, I’m Sara’s hungrier, heftier half and I’m writing from our new “hood”, <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Crown</placename> <placetype w:st="on">Heights,</placetype></place> <place w:st="on">Brooklyn</place>. We love and miss Philly <em>(Sara note: I'm back in Philly now and Ron's still in NY so what he's really saying is HE loves and misses Philly and, of course, his lovely wife)</em>, but truth be told, we also love <state w:st="on"><place w:st="on">New York</place></state>. Don’t get me wrong you won’t catch me buying a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sub </i>or<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> hero</i> here… It’s hoagies all the way for me, but there is amazing food everywhere you turn and because New York welcomes the wretched refuse of everyone’s teeming shores, each time you eat out is a chance to taste something you’ve never had before.</div>
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One of my favorites places to eat, New York or anywhere for that matter, is Momofuku Noodle Bar. Noodle Bar looks and feels like another cool East Village bar to hang out in, with a soundtrack that could be my itunes playlist, but it’s an elegant restaurant serving a weird hybrid of Korean and American food. Their Ramen is waaaaay more than those little packets of brittle noodles and instant broth! It’s fine dining. <em>(Sara note: We can also get killer ramen close to our Crown Heights 'hood at Chuko. Sooooo good) </em> The pork buns are little clouds of pork belly and awesome. But the first time I went there was this other thing that burned a hole in my taste buds and memory… A sweet and sour cabbagey mess on the side of my plate… It’s called Kimchi! Korean folk swear by it and serve it with nearly every meal. </div>
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Cut to three years later and I can’t get enough of the stuff. It’s hot, salty, pungent and actually really good for you. They say it aids digestion… I dunno, but it tastes awesome! For Christmas, my brother and sister in law bought me David Chang’s Momofuku cookbook and I dove right into making my own Kimchi. </div>
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It’s a two-week fermentation process, but totally worth it. There are a ton of ingredients like little tiny jarred salted shrimp:<br />
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Kochukaru i.e. Korean chilli powder - lots of it!</div>
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And lots of other stuff: </div>
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But you only need to buy the non vegetable ingredients one time and once you do, you can whip up a batch that will last for a month or so. (<em>Sara note: you can whip it up in no time but then it has to work its magic and get a little funky in the fridge for a few days before you can eat it.</em>)</div>
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I tweak the <a href="http://gourmettraveller.com.au/momofukus-napa-cabbage-kimchi.htm" target="_blank">recipe </a>every batch. My newest one has about 2/3 the sugar and 1/4 less ginger. And it’s still fantastic! </div>
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I eat it as a side. I put it in soup. Put it in the food processor and use it as a marinade. Eat it in omelettes… On top of pork chops. With chicken thighs… mackerel… steaks... Anywhere you would use a salsa, try Kimchi next time! </div>
</div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-59544700263426444502012-01-23T18:05:00.008-05:002012-01-23T21:15:16.056-05:00Eatin' Good in a Brand New Hood!As most of you know my husband, Ron, has been working and living in New York more than he's been in Philly for the past couple of years. It's been a bummer for a lot of reasons: <div><br /><div>1. being apart 5 days a week stinks</div><div>2. staying in short term sublets with strangers stinks for him and for visitors (i.e. ME)</div><div>3. constantly searching for a new place to live stinks</div><div>4. not having your own kitchen means you eat out all the time which is bad for the wallet and the waistline - which, you guessed it, stinks!</div><div><br /></div><div>So...we bit the bullet and signed a year lease for an amazing apartment in Brooklyn - and it's kind of in the hood so we feel right at home! We're renting our place in Philly for now but I'll be back there soon for work so Ron and I really trying to enjoy this rare time we have of actually living together in a new place. </div><div><br /></div><div>We've been here just over a month and there are tons of places in the neighborhood I want to visit but we've been adhering to our new year's resolutions and eating healthy and easing up on the booze (boring!). Which also means I've been cooking things like split pea soup and beans and greens, things I've written about one million times! Hence my severe lack of blogs.</div><div><br /></div><div>I did make this killer Eggplant and Chicken Green Curry the other night:<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_DekgmHJ-AY/Tx30TQeszrI/AAAAAAAAANQ/OdYCeM4NwYs/s400/photo-8.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700981314999340722" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px; " /></div><div><br /></div><div>First I salted a medium cut up eggplant and let it sit in a colander for a bit. Then I sauteed a small onion with some ginger and garlic then added a can of light coconut milk and a couple tablespoons of green curry paste. I added about a cup and a half of leftover roasted chicken and let it all simmer together. Separately I sauteed a half of a green pepper and a half of a red pepper with another small onion and the eggplant. When the veggies started to get a little color but still had bite I added them to the chicken with a few splashes of chicken stock. I also threw in come bamboo shoots and water chestnuts and a touch of brown sugar - I like my curry a little bit sweet! Right before it hit the plate I added chopped cilantro and green onions. I served it all over a smashed sweet potato. </div><div><br /></div><div>Delicious. I'm gonna go eat leftovers.</div><div><br /></div><div>PS - Ron hates that I haven't been blogging so he's agreed to a guest blog. Keep an eye out for his David Chang inspired entry soon.</div><div><br /></div></div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-40557047634348678342011-10-10T12:22:00.002-04:002011-10-10T12:28:44.418-04:00Squash Blossoms!<p class="bloggerplus_text_section" align="left">This weekend I went apple and pumpkin picking with some friends and the pumpkin patch was full of squash blossoms! I stuffed my purse full of them. Shhh....<br /><br />I ended up stuffing them with a combo of queso fresco, cream cheese, cilantro, a bit of a spicy pepper that I roasted, chili powder and cumin. I splashed in some milk to bring it all together then put the mixture in a baggie with the corner cut off and stuffed the blossoms. Make sure you can twist the blossom at the end - don't overstuff! <br /><br />The batter was tempura-ish. An egg, a cup of flour, some salt and a little less than a cup of seltzer. I made mine in a bowl that was sitting in an ice bath because I read that the batter is supposed to be really cold. <br /><br />I dipped all the blossoms in the batter and fried then in 350 degree oil until they started to crisp up then placed them in a warm oven while I cooked the next batch. </p><p class="bloggerplus_text_section" align="left"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-f8e9kaAFJmU/TpMbzcFDv9I/AAAAAAAAAM4/ogLvK9pXPJ0/bloggerPlus.jpg" /></p><p class="bloggerplus_text_section" align="left">I also made a cilantro dipping sauce - lots of chopped cilantro, chopped chives, plain Greek yogurt, a bit of mayo, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lime. </p><p class="bloggerplus_text_section" align="left"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-evfVeVkVSCc/TpMbzw7y5fI/AAAAAAAAAM8/WB42GCF0Vjw/bloggerPlus.jpg" /></p><p class="bloggerplus_text_section" align="left">Dinner was completed with grilled veggies (great with the cilantro sauce!) and leftover tortilla soup. Delicious!</p><p></p>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-20251684355898025482011-08-10T09:41:00.000-04:002011-08-10T09:41:01.394-04:00Tofu & Green BeansThis is one of those meals that can come together in like 15 minutes. It's great for times like when you take the chicken you were planning on having for dinner out of the fridge and it smells like a weird combo of blue cheese and trash even though you just bought it the day before. That happens to everyone right?<div><br /></div><div>Well it's for times like these that I always keep tofu in the fridge and on this day I totally won because I had a bag of green beans from the farm stand in the fridge, too. I crumbled tofu and dry fried it - once it was starting to get brown I added a combo of soy, hoisin, rice wine vinegar, ginger, garlic and a little veggie stock. Once almost all the liquid was absorbed I mixed the tofu with steamed green beans. I sauteed some shallot until they were on the verge of burning - that's how I like them! I topped the green beans and tofu with the shallots and chopped roasted peanuts and BOOM - dinner!</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5995297124/" title="DSC_0409 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/5995297124_5657549040_z.jpg" width="640" height="424" alt="DSC_0409" /></a></div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-18246566270597311952011-08-07T21:13:00.001-04:002011-08-07T21:13:00.346-04:00Local Potato, Corn, and Tomato Salad<p class="bloggerplus_text_section" align="left">Itty bitty fingerling potatoes from the Sunday farmer's market at Dickinson Park, heirloom tomatoes from the same market and our backyard, and corn, long hots and Hidden Hills Dairy feta from our CSA make one very local, very delicious salad.<br /></p><p></p><p></p><div class="bloggerplus_image_section" align="left"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-sJRLMe9ZhY4/TjX8_51eGAI/AAAAAAAAAMs/XV14x8PM-ik/bloggerPlus.jpg" /></div><p></p><p></p><div class="bloggerplus_image_section" align="left"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-NB0V_ge6L2E/TjX9A7vb_JI/AAAAAAAAAMw/UDa6BPz5xgI/bloggerPlus.jpg" /></div><p></p><p></p><div class="bloggerplus_image_section" align="left"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-STJw1Yb1p18/TjX89NDVDTI/AAAAAAAAAMk/0u0G8Ls9Dc4/bloggerPlus.jpg" /></div><p></p><p></p><div class="bloggerplus_image_section" align="left">Roast and peel the skin off of a long hot, cut the corn off the cob and sautee the in olive oil, steam the potatoes, let everything cool before tossing with the chopped tomatoes, feta, chives (home grown!), a little red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Chow down.</div><div class="bloggerplus_image_section" align="left"><br /></div><div class="bloggerplus_image_section" align="left"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-SMwlrkh6pRQ/TjX8-m7JPfI/AAAAAAAAAMo/sU1qPQst_PA/bloggerPlus.jpg" /></div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-73420130934012843052011-08-03T19:47:00.003-04:002011-08-08T12:01:55.537-04:00Tomatoes + Homemade Bread = PerfectI didn't always love tomatoes - in fact they were one of the few foods that I didn't like. But over the past few years I've smartened up and this time of year I can't get enough. <div>
<br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5994802739/" title="photo-5 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6030/5994802739_d117631e1d_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="photo-5" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5994819143/" title="photo-7 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6138/5994819143_c20af6668c_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="photo-7" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5995351940/" title="photo-4 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6025/5995351940_3dc7132266_m.jpg" width="240" height="179" alt="photo-4" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5995352178/" title="photo-6 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6133/5995352178_a61f9a002e_m.jpg" width="240" height="179" alt="photo-6" /></a> </div><div>
<br /></div><div>Tomatoes with cream cheese on toast? Okay! Pico De Gallo on just about everything? Yup. Perfect little heirlooms cut up with salt and pepper...for breakfast? Definitely.<div>
<br /></div><div>Or how about this? BLT's on homemade no-knead bread. This might just be the perfect food. </div><div>
<br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5995296880/" title="DSC_0506 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6144/5995296880_64dbc281f2.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0506" /></a></div></div><div>
<br /></div><div>This bread, slightly stale, tossed in olive oil and toasted up makes an awesome panzanella. Just one more way to use up all those tomatoes!</div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-36365077762064850352011-07-31T15:11:00.005-04:002011-07-31T15:46:47.929-04:00Garbanzos con Morcilla<div style="text-align: left;">Garbanzos con Morcilla sounds prettier than chickpeas with blood sausage, right? I wrote about this <a href="http://eatingoodinthehood.blogspot.com/2009/10/boqueria-part-2-pinoxto.html">delicious dish</a> that Ron and I had in Barcelona a couple of years ago. When I was eating it I had no idea it had blood sausage in it - but turns out that's probably the ingredient that makes it so delicious.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>Sometime on lazy Sundays we like to experiment with some more time consuming dishes or with some ingredients we don't normally use. I had pulled out a Barcelona cookbook that our friends bought us when we got engaged and it had me craving those chickpeas! After finding <a href="http://thesaltyolive.com/blog/post/Juanitos-garbanzos.aspx">this recipe</a>, tracking down blood sausage at Cousins Supermarket in North Philly and throwing together a batch of no knead bread we were well on our way to this at-home version of that awesome Bar Pinotxo meal.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5994713239/" title="chickpeas with blood sausage by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6003/5994713239_ee437f7d37.jpg" width="500" height="391" alt="chickpeas with blood sausage" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Not too shabby right?</div><div><br /></div><div>The recipe was definitely close to what we remembered but looking back at pictures today I think we could have used half the amount of blood sausage.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5995271058/" title="Morcilla! by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6150/5995271058_6ba8c19d7f.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="Morcilla!" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Along with the chick peas we had a homemade baguette that we topped with olive oil, white anchovies, olives and spicy little red peppers. Oh, and a bottle of prosecco - you can't have a spanish meal without a bottle of prosecco!</div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-13039083550252810502011-07-17T15:36:00.007-04:002011-07-17T21:29:15.373-04:00University City Dining Days + Why Philly is Awesome!<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The folks at </span></span><a href="http://food.visitphilly.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Philly Homegrown</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> were kind enough to invite me to dinner last week. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><a href="http://food.visitphilly.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Philly Homegrown</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> is an initiative of GPTMC. They have some pretty great goals like getting more consumers to buy local and </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">promoting the folks creating all this amazing local food - from farmers, brewers, cheese makers, and bakers to the chefs that are serving local foods in their restaurants. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Check out their website: </span></span><a href="http://food.visitphilly.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">food.visitphilly.com</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We had a </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">quick visit to </span></span><a href="http://www.universitycity.org/ucd_programs/marketing/clark_park_farmers_market"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Clark Park Farmer’s Market</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and then a delicious dinner at </span></span><a href="http://www.rxrestaurant.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Rx</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> in </span></span><a href="http://www.universitycity.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">University City</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Rx is one the many restaurants participating in University City's dining days that are dedicated to using fresh, local ingredients. Have you heard of Dining Days? It's like Center City Restaurant week but with $15, $25, and $30 price options - see more info on that </span></span><a href="http://www.universitycity.org/diningdays"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">here</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. It's a real bargain and it only goes through July 28th - so get to it!</span></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; "><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Rx dinner was great - I had a delicious salad with spicy pecans and local apples:</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ucI4R9MciAg/TiM-jiGqFnI/AAAAAAAAAMA/uyazNHmIfqI/s1600/photo-1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ucI4R9MciAg/TiM-jiGqFnI/AAAAAAAAAMA/uyazNHmIfqI/s400/photo-1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630412739314325106" style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px; " /></span></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Trout with black eyed peas and green beans: </span></span></span></div><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7tl--pcj334/TiM-qoET47I/AAAAAAAAAMI/JLEeCb1wpw8/s400/photo-2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630412861174178738" style="text-align: left; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px; " /><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">and rice pudding (I tried all the desserts and they were great - chocolate bread pudding? chai creme brulee? fried apple pie? Yes, please).</span></span></span></div><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9IoJvim1ASA/TiM-71Fq1fI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/EA0_Ca5Wse4/s400/photo-3.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630413156727313906" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px; " /><div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'm going to try to make it back out to Dining Days this week for 3 dishes at </span></span><a href="http://bibawinebar.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Biba</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> for $15 - bargain, right?</span></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This was my first visit to </span></span><a href="http://www.universitycity.org/ucd_programs/marketing/clark_park_farmers_market"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Clark Park Farmer's market</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> - I've been meaning to go for months and can't wait to check it out again on a Saturday. It</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> was chock-full of local fruits, veggies, meat, dairy and baked goods. Ever had ice cold goat's milk? No? You should try it - it's seriously delicious.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We also had the opportunity to chat with folks from </span></span><a href="http://www.thefoodtrust.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Food Trust</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. They're an awesome organization in Philadelphia that is working hard to make sure everyone has access to healthy food. They're in schools teaching healthy eating habits, starting farmers markets in every part of the city, working with corner stores to help them stock healthy foods and so much more. They're pretty amazing.</span></span></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thanks, Philly Homegrown, for a lovely, informative evening!</span></span></span></div></div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-69237297229590688992011-07-12T21:13:00.001-04:002011-07-12T21:13:15.923-04:00Zucchini Salad <p><p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'>This recipe had been all over the blogs and when my friend Mark made it a few weeks ago I knew it'd become a no-cook standby. <br><br>Zucchini thinly sliced on the mandoline, lemon juice, olive oil, pine nuts, parm (grate it on your cheese grater not your microplane - way better), salt and lots of fresh ground pepper.<br><br>Yum.</p></p><p><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-KFW8G0hsNUA/ThzxKhA6XuI/AAAAAAAAAL4/tNY4SrqjH7Q/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-73401135819208345352011-07-11T21:23:00.001-04:002011-07-11T21:23:24.060-04:00Sweet Potato Pancake with Arugula Salad <p><p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'>Please forgive my iPhone photo! I don't have my camera handy but I wanted to share this easy dish.<br><br>I grated a sweet potato and cooked it in a pan coated with nonstick spray until brown on both sides - it wasn't crispy, just cooked through. I topped it with an Arugula salad that was simply dressed with lemon juice, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper. A touch of blue cheese and almonds made this simple salad pretty darn tasty.</p></p><p><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='left' ><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-QTIkqNMuiMQ/ThuiCqtarWI/AAAAAAAAAL0/ukVt08d7OoQ/bloggerPlus.jpg' ></img></div></p>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-84292507914816300012011-06-26T12:40:00.001-04:002011-06-26T12:40:00.176-04:00Greens, Greens, and more GreensOur CSA is pretty heavy on the greens and that's a good thing because I love greens! I'll happily incorporate them into my breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here's an easy, healthy, green-y breakfast:<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5824922862/" title="DSC_0387 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/5824922862_8ff616d33a.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0387" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I sauteed some swiss chard in a little olive oil with some garlic, red pepper flakes, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and a splash of water. Once the greens were wilted I added some white beans and halved cherry tomatoes until they were heated through. I topped it with (surprise!) a sunny side up egg! </div><div><br /></div><div>Like I said, I had this for breakfast but I've also had versions of this for <a href="http://eatingoodinthehood.blogspot.com/2009/03/going-easy-on-meat.html">lunch and dinner</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>P.S. I think that "put an egg on it" is the culinary equivalent of "put a bird on it" - just sayin'. </div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-6529971757726811342011-06-19T12:03:00.001-04:002011-06-19T12:03:00.141-04:00PicnickingA couple of weekends ago Ron and I picnicked in Redhook Brooklyn. We originally planned to picnic in Prospect Park but decided to venture a little further from Ron's apartment. We had homemade hummus, roasted vegetables with feta and shrimp salad with artichokes, olives, parsley, cherry tomatoes and lemon. Oh and little cans of Sofia champagne :)<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5825149474/" title="DSC_0360 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2365/5825149474_f0094843f3.jpg" width="404" height="500" alt="DSC_0360" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>But really we should have brought NOTHING because the Redhook ballfields are home to a ton of great food trucks. See evidence <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2008/07/red-hook-vendors-soccer-tacos-guide-how-to-get-there-what-to-eat.html">here</a>. Everything looked and smelled great, we'll be back soon empty handed to snack on things like empanadas and pupusas.</div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-34884637848704155472011-06-12T11:12:00.005-04:002011-06-12T12:24:03.321-04:00Breaking the Fast with Zucchini Pancakes!<div>I'm off the juice! The 4 day <a href="http://www.catalystcleanse.com/">Catalyst Juice Cleanse</a> that is. I feel a little lighter, a little "cleaner" and a lot relieved that it's over. This cleanse was relatively easy - you just pick up the juices (6 a day) and drink up. I was never hungry but I did have a dull lack-of-caffeine headache for the first 2 days. The only real problem with doing a cleanse is that it's BORING, especially for people who love to cook, eat, and drink, like me! I did this Wednesday through Saturday and yesterday there was a BLOCK PARTY on my block and I had to stay inside like a hermit so not to be tempted by the booze and grub. It was a real bummer. But I'd certainly recommend a juice cleanse especially if you're finding yourself stuffing your face with too much bad-for-you food and drink. </div><div><br /></div><div>Between Thanksgiving and Christmas of last year I did the Master Cleanse - you know, that nothing but maple syrup, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper for 10 days diet? There are additional unpleasantries that I'll omit because people come here to read about food not um...poop. Anyway...the Master Cleanse is something I refuse to believe is healthy although it helped me lose about 10lbs (about 7 of them stayed off) and really set my eating habits back on track. Not because I thought I did something really healthy for my body but because I kept telling myself things like "You just didn't eat a thing for 10 days, don't screw up the results with those french fries!". The juice cleanse it WAY easier and more pleasant - I didn't love any of the juices (there is even a lemon juice, agave, cayenne one that gave me pretty scary Master Cleanse flashbacks!) but I didn't hate them either. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now lets talk about my first solid meal in 4 days, okay?</div><div><br /></div><div>We're doing the Greensgrow CSA again this year and I think it's started stronger than ever. Last week we got zucchini and since I didn't eat for 4 days this week I wanted to use them up today before they went bad. Zucchini and summer squash tend to get stock piled in my fridge around this time each year so I'm always searching for new recipes. This is an <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/zucchini-pancakes-recipe/index.html">Ina Garten Zucchini Pancake recipe</a>. They came together really quickly which is good because frankly, I was hungry. </div><div><br /></div><div>I halved the recipe - 1 grated zucchini, 1 egg, 3 Tbs flour (I used whole wheat), 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 Tbs grated onion, salt & pepper.</div><div> </div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5824922684/" title="DSC_0395 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2108/5824922684_f8ea1fb244.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0395" /></a><div><br /><div>I like to use my potato ricer to squeeze liquid out of anything that needs to be squeezed! It's the best way to dry shredded potatoes for hash browns. </div><div><br /></div><div>I used a little spring release scoop to make all of the pancakes the same size. I'm sort of crazy about things being even - if you've ever seen me pour a glass of wine you'll know what I'm talking about! Instead of frying these in lots of oil I used nonstick olive oil spray. Flip them when the top started to bubble, just like regular pancakes.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5824362201/" title="DSC_0402 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5151/5824362201_ba6ebbcd52.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0402" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I topped them with sour cream and halved cherry tomatoes that I had tossed with salt, pepper and a touch of red wine vinegar. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5824362053/" title="DSC_0404 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2389/5824362053_63dd09207d.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0404" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Ooh and I had coffee, too. It was delicious. </div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-952182562782385302011-05-01T20:28:00.003-04:002011-05-02T09:53:27.312-04:00Weekly DetoxWhile Ron's away working in NYC I tend to eat super healthy during the week - heavy on the fruits and vegetables and light on the meat. I eat this way during the week for lots of reasons: it's good for me, it's easy, it's cheap BUT most of all it's because my weekends tend to filled with things like this:<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5655956690/" title="DSC_0194 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5106/5655956690_44044e3dd7.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0194" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Our weekends in NY are indulgent to say the least - Ron has a roommate so sitting around the house and making meals at home always seems a little awkward so we eat out...ALOT at places like <a href="http://eatalyny.com/#1">Eataly</a> (aka heaven) where the above picture was taken and great little joints in Ron's Park Slop neighborhood like <a href="http://www.miriamrestaurant.com/">Miriam</a> for brunch and <a href="http://www.palosanto.us/">Palo Santo</a> for dinner.</div><div><br /></div><div>So come Monday mornings I generally feel like a little detox in necessary. I lean on meals like this one:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5655936150/" title="photo by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5030/5655936150_11d8d51619.jpg" width="500" height="374" alt="photo" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Tons of roasted vegetables (in this case mushrooms, onions, carrots, broccoli AND red cabbage!) with some chick peas, feta and toasted pita on the side. Roasting enough vegetables for five meals is just as easy as roasting enough for one and lately I've been making a giant tray of them and eating them all week. Plain greek yogurt with fruit and whole grain cereal for breakfast and meals like this for lunch and dinner so far have kept me fitting in my pants while allowing me to still be a giant pig on the weekends (see proof of piggy-ness <a href="http://eatingoodinthehood.blogspot.com/2011/04/pig.html">here</a>).</div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-14601185061785937962011-04-25T19:44:00.004-04:002011-04-28T13:07:28.909-04:00Pig!This is a very belated post! As some of you probably already know Ron and I go to a lot of Phillies games and we take a lot of pride in out tailgates. Our friends go all out - tents, tables, grills, games, beer, wine, booze and lots and lots of grub. We generally stick to the Holiday Inn parking lot but large scale tailgates call for a spot at FDR park and this April 2nd tailgate was a big one with one VERY special guest. The boys get props for coming up with the brilliant idea to invite this guy:<div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5655254957/" title="DSC_0159 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5148/5655254957_f21019c18a.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0159" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Yummy. I mean look how happy he made everyone!</div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5655826230/" title="DSC_0154 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5068/5655826230_d5f8c43880.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0154" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Apparently pork make boys happy and, I gotta be honest, the girls were pretty happy too. How could you not be when there were fixin's for pork three ways?</div><div><br /></div><div>With garlicly broccoli rabe and sharp provolone or vinegary BBQ sauce and creamy slaw:</div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5655827768/" title="DSC_0167 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5185/5655827768_2c147c141e.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0167" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Or in taco form with pineapple salsa, queso fresco and chipotle sour cream:</div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5655255407/" title="DSC_0162 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5190/5655255407_0dc0a63753.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0162" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Yup - we take tailgating pretty seriously. I also made sweet potato salad and cookies but who cares about that when there's an entire pig and all it's crunchy skin to eat?</div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-56142182987718375682011-03-26T09:00:00.003-04:002011-04-28T13:10:08.545-04:00Need to blog...<div>I've been busy, I know it's an excuse I use constantly and I really wish I was better at keeping this blog up...but I'm not. Work and life tend to get in my way. It's not that I haven't been cooking or baking it's just that I've been working weird hours and when I cook I really just want to eat, not take a picture, not write a blog, just eat. <div><br /></div><div>BUT the good news is that we just signed up for Greensgrow again which means soon we'll have local produce galore and I'll try to blog more. My current gig will be done in 7 weeks or so then I'll be back on the job hunt. If the hunt is unsuccessful chances are you'll see a lot more blogs! Especially since my husband took another job in NYC - when he's not around I have a lot more free time (read: it's sort of lonely). </div><div><br /></div><div>Just for kicks I'll leave you with this little gem:<img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y1QAM3CwHxY/TY01YKh0JWI/AAAAAAAAALs/vL5Mzr2zx0s/s400/ry%253D400.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588181401895970146" /></div><div><br /></div><div>THAT readers is a jello shot bar from my buddy Carla's bachelorette party. This bachelorette party started with pole dancing, it was a week ago and I'm just now getting the full movement back in both of my arms. I have a new respect for strippers. Anyway...these jello shot lead to a ridiculously fun night. But these aren't just any jello shots - these are classy jello shots. Most recipes are from <a href="http://www.jelly-shot-test-kitchen.blogspot.com/">this blog</a>. I recommend you make a couple, slurp a couple then go dancing.</div></div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-12494897996652889222011-01-15T10:41:00.002-05:002011-01-15T10:53:13.442-05:00My New Mandoline Trick!Mandolines are scary, right? I pretty much told my mother she's not allowed to buy one, far too risky. I was at the point where I'd lost too many thumb chunks to even bring the thing out of my cabinet anymore. When I watch "Iron Chef" and see them slice things lengthwise so their palm is so close to the blade I cringe just imagining what a hand would look like without a palm.<div><br /></div><div>Then I read about this little trick:</div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5357407162/" title="DSC_0919 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5046/5357407162_018b05ed68.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0919" /></a></div><div> (Um...please ignore the mess in the kitchen, this is generally what it looks like pre-dinner party!)</div><div><br /></div><div>Brilliant right? You might lose a little fabric from your oven mitt but you'll keep all of your fingers and your palm! I can't remember where I read this but Oven-Mitt-as-Hand-Guard Inventor if you're out there - thank you!</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's a closer look:</div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5357407244/" title="DSC_0922 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5165/5357407244_6f5c23ff3d.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0922" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Now just toss those carrots with a bit of honey, butter, salt and pepper and saute until they're just tender and starting to get golden then add a handful of chopped parsley - so good and really pretty.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did everyone know about this trick already and I'm the only idiot left without fingerprints? Hope not.</div><div><br /></div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-1521902020853894632010-12-28T17:34:00.005-05:002011-04-25T21:07:38.266-04:00Seafood Feast!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">One of the few culinary tradition we have in our family is a seafood feast the night of Christmas Eve. I'm not Italian, I'm Polish but I tend to refer to this meal as "Seven Fishes" because it's a more familiar term </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">than our Polish "Wigilia". It's basically a meatless meal that consists of 12 dishes. My mom and grandparents had a smorgasbord that included some less desirable things like eel and herring. Growing up we always had stuffed shrimp, stuffed flounder, fried scallops, twice baked potatoes and a couple of vegetables (we didn't really follow that 12 dish thing!).</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I wanted to have an early "Wigilia" with my Philly friends this year and for an added challenge decided to make seven different fishes. It was a bit of a cultural combo - we had everything from vegetarian gulumpkis to calamari in red sauce over linguini! Here's the menu:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5301052065/" title="DSC_0946 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5241/5301052065_8a33790289.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0946" /></span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Not bad right? I've admitted this before - when I'm entertaining I STINK at taking pictures. Luckily Ron was around to snap a few of the appetizers. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Deviled Eggs with Crab:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5301052317/" title="DSC_0932 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5245/5301052317_0eac1d2da9.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0932" /></span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Stuffed Clams:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5301052441/" title="DSC_0934 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5044/5301052441_dc16b67b08.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0934" /></span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Flatbread with Anchovies, Olives, Tomatoes & Caramelized Onions:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5301052583/" title="DSC_0935 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5121/5301052583_8312a22383.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0935" /></span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And this delicious </span><a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2007/11/salmon-rillette/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Salmon Rillette</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5301646704/" title="DSC_0936 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5284/5301646704_a8e0b460ee.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0936" /></span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We changed this recipe a touch by using Ron's home smoked salmon in the spread and lined the bowl that we were using as a mold with store bought smoked salmon. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Then I stopped taking pictures - you'll just have to believe me that the rest was delicious! I'll be posted a recipe for veggie gulumpki soon - it was a crowd favorite. </span></span></div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-84085234799180165362010-12-10T18:47:00.000-05:002010-12-10T18:47:00.832-05:00Best Bay Scallops Ever & A Dinner PartyI've mentioned before that I'm from the North Fork of Long Island and that means that I'm occasionally blessed with awesome seafood. Remember this <a href="http://eatingoodinthehood.blogspot.com/2008/07/clammy-feast.html">clammy feast</a>? A few weekends ago my parents were in town and they brought me some peconic bay scallops that were so fresh and sweet that I couldn't stop popping raw ones in my mouth. I normally only get to eat them once a year - Christmas Eve when we deep fry them (yeah - yum) so this was a really special treat!<div><br /></div><div>We had a few friends over for a dinner party - 8 people altogether including me and Ron and my parents. I wanted to make something that didn't require any last minute cooking - the star (besides the scallops - I'll tell you about those in a second) was a giant pork roast that I slow cooked in lots of white wine and herbs until it was fall apart tender. </div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5218567159/" title="DSC_0939 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4130/5218567159_960710c69f.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0939" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>While that cooked away in the oven I prepared the rest of the meal. Side dishes included white beans and greens:</div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5219155628/" title="DSC_0937 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5210/5219155628_a79ac882d8.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0937" /></a></div><div>I made these with dried beans, someone please tell me how to make them taste as good as the ones out of the can. They're always half undercooked, half overcooked. In spite of that these still game out pretty tasty. Amazing what salt, pepper, lots of tomato paste and a couple ladles of that pork cooking liquid will do! </div><div><br /></div><div>I also made my absolute favorite salad - mixed greens with roasted butternut squash, paper thin red onions, goat cheese, pepitas and a maple vinaigrette. So good.</div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5239763962/" title="DSC_0938 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5087/5239763962_29cbeaf281.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0938" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, what's that in the bottom left you ask? That's the scallop dish I made - did you think I was gonna leave you hanging? Talk about how awesome it was and then not give you the recipe? Don't you worry. First thing you should know is that it's a <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/bay-scallop-gratin-recipe/index.html">Ina Garten recipe</a> so you know it's gonna be awesome and second, just listen to the name "bay scallop gratin". GRATIN - I'm in. You puree delicious thing like butter and garlic and parsley and lemon juice all together and smear them on top of scallops that have been splashed with white wine (I didn't have the pernod that the recipe called for) and top them with panko bread crumbs (the recipe called for mixing them into the butter mixture, I thought that was weird so I threw them on top) and bake. What comes out of the oven is a dish that people will RAVE about. Take a look:</div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5218567321/" title="DSC_0940 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5128/5218567321_ca98139ea1.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0940" /></a></div><div>Oops! I almost forgot the last ingredient that puts this over the top - prosciutto! See it under the bread crumbs mixed in with the butter? Yup, PROSCIUTTO mixed with BUTTER. </div><div><br /></div><div>And of course there was dessert - but that's for next time. Stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion!</div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-1124127640955124362010-12-06T16:54:00.003-05:002010-12-06T18:47:02.202-05:00Brined ChickenI used a recipe similar to this <a href="http://ruhlman.com/2010/10/how-to-brine-chicken-quick-brine-recipe.html">Mark Rhulman brined chicken recipe</a> from this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Craft-Salting-Smoking-Curing/dp/0393058298">fantastic charcuterie book</a> to make the most delicious and good-looking chicken I've ever made. Although there is one thing that really, really stinks about it - I'll never be able to make a un-brined chicken again. It's not that it's difficult to brine a chicken, throw the ingredients in a pot and simmer until everything is dissolved and let cool before dunking in your whole chicken or start with a small amount of water and simmer the ingredients and add a ton ice like they do in the recipe linked above.<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5219154786/" title="DSC_0321 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4092/5219154786_8627f4a9a6.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0321" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>See, easy right? It's just that it requires a bit of planning - you have to know the night before that you're having chicken for dinner the next day, no grabbing one on your way home from work. But luckily I have a feeling that planning ahead to have chicken for dinner won't be an issue when the results look like this:<div><br /></div></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5218566269/" title="DSC_0373 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5208/5218566269_e66bd52896.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0373" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>And even better than the look of the chicken was the taste. Soaking in the salty/sweet/herby water leaves the meat seasoned all the way through. It's a taste I could never achieve just by seasoning the outside. Oh and if you have time after you pull the chicken out of the brine leave it uncovered in your fridge to really let the chicken skin dry out - then you'll have crispy chicken skin, what's better than that?</div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-55790381957907248092010-12-02T15:44:00.000-05:002010-12-02T15:44:00.298-05:00Whoopie!Pumpkin whoopie pies with cream cheese frosting - need I say more?<div><br /></div><div>I followed <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2009/10/pumpkin_whoopie_pies_with_maple_marshmallow_cream_filling">this recipe</a> from Bon Appetit for the cake part, using the pumpkin flesh I talked about in my last blog instead of canned pumkin. The only other change was that I didn't grease my parchment and the bottoms got a little golden and didn't stick - I'd definitely go parchment-less. </div><div><br /></div><div>The filling is a <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pumpkin-whoopie-pies">standard cream cheese frosting recipe</a> from Martha Stewart.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bake the cookies, make the filling, stuff, taste test, feed to friends. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5219036342/" title="DSC_0260 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5005/5219036342_25a9f33bbe_m.jpg" width="240" height="159" alt="DSC_0260" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5218447573/" title="DSC_0262 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/5218447573_57bd7fc057_m.jpg" width="240" height="159" alt="DSC_0262" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5219036590/" title="DSC_0265 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5219036590_a6016b4b26_m.jpg" width="240" height="159" alt="DSC_0265" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5219036710/" title="DSC_0275 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5202/5219036710_ac5756f8c6_m.jpg" width="240" height="159" alt="DSC_0275" /></a></div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-69041288411497125332010-10-26T13:30:00.004-04:002010-11-29T15:43:42.484-05:00Pumpkin Season!Oh hey there - remember me? I went and got a job that left me too busy to post on my blog. Sorry about that. Good news though - the gig is over. Bad news? I'm once again be on the job search. <div><br /></div><div>Anyway...since my last post the weather has gotten chillier, the leaves have turned color, and it's officially become the holiday season. Which means pumpkins! We got giant pumpkins from our CSA. The kind that I'm afraid to cut into for fear that I'll slip and lose a finger. I mean look at these things:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5219001414/" title="DSC_0231 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5219001414_888ea154e4.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0231" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>That green one - it's still sitting in the window. I'll get to him soon enough. The crooked neck pumpkin seemed a bit easier to tackle! I (carefully) cut off the crooked neck, sliced all the pieces in half and scooped out the all the guts and the seeds. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5219001538/" title="DSC_0233 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5282/5219001538_6bdc25015e.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0233" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I roasted the pieces flesh side down in a 350 degree oven for about an hour until you could easily pierce the flesh with a knife and looks like this:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5219001662/" title="DSC_0241 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5084/5219001662_9c0fa1411f.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0241" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Then since I didn't really have something to do with all this pumpkin I decided to freeze it by the cup in plastic bags. Then...when my next recipe (hint it included cream cheese frosting) calls for pumpkin I can just grab a bag from the freezer.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/5218412843/" title="DSC_0244 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5125/5218412843_6e3ec1a984.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0244" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>And in the mean time there are roasted squash seeds to munch on! I roast them with salt, pepper and olive oil along side the squash until they're golden brown.</div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-4138136217397400812010-08-03T15:38:00.001-04:002010-08-03T15:38:00.335-04:00Caramelized Leek Scramble - Our New Favorite Breakfast!<div>We have a new favorite breakfast. It take about 20 minutes to make and 30 seconds to eat and it's a little fancy and a lot delicious. </div><div><br /></div><div>I LOVE caramelized onions and if those onions are in leek form? Oh man, I would happily eat an entire bowl of them with a spoon. </div><div><br /></div><div>For this dish I chopped up the whites of two small leeks and put them in a bowl of water to rinse off the grit. I sauteed the leeks in a bit of butter with a salt and pepper until they turned soft and sweet. Whisk 3 eggs with about a tablespoon of sour cream, salt, pepper and the sauteed leeks. </div><div><br /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/4847241304/" title="DSC_1389 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4103/4847241304_97ec70569f.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_1389" /></a><div><br /></div><div>Put a couple pieces of your favorite bread in the toaster - we used rye. Slowly scramble the eggs until they are just cooked. Butter your toast, top with the scrambled eggs and a little bit of shredded parmesan cheese. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/4847241502/" title="DSC_1394 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/4847241502_ddff0a5292.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_1394" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>After I took this picture and we were several bites into breakfast Ron said "No cheese this time?". I practically sprinted to the fridge to grab the block of parmesan - it puts this simple breakfast over the top.</div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627072635365333965.post-84515505453451919082010-07-28T11:43:00.004-04:002010-07-31T15:21:24.804-04:00Surprise Party Birthday Cakes!Store bought cake generally doesn't interest me - the frosting is always too sweet and the cake is always too dense. At a party it's the thing I skip so I can eat more potato chips. But homemade cake? That, I'll take a slice of. Even when the mix is out of a box and the frosting is out of a can it's somehow so much better. <br /><br />But if you're going homemade you might as well make it from scratch and you might as well make it interesting. As you can tell by previous posts, I prefer things like <a href="http://eatingoodinthehood.blogspot.com/2009/07/birthday-cake.html">pink lady cake</a>, <a href="http://eatingoodinthehood.blogspot.com/2009/04/easter-feast.html">carrot cake</a>, and <a href="http://eatingoodinthehood.blogspot.com/2009/06/block-party.html">root beer cake</a>. Why go plain old vanilla and chocolate when you can add things like root beer and cream cheese frosting? <div><br /></div><div>Our friend Mark just turned 30 and his girlfriend, Jackie, was throwing him a surprise birthday bash. I was asked make cake! I ended up making two - first was the <a href="http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/05/root-beer-float-cake/">root beer cake</a> then in a last minute holy-crap-this-isn't-enough-cake panic I made a <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/08/peach-cupcakes-with-brown-sugar-frosting/">peach cake with brown sugar cream cheese frosting</a> (I know, yum!). I doubled the root beer cake recipe to make a two layer 9x13 cake and turned the peach cupcake recipe into a 9 inch 2 layer cake. I had white peaches, regular peaches and nectarines on hand from the CSA so I used a combo of all of them in the batter. </div><div><br />Here's the before:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/4846622161/" title="38331_1533573304251_1382360753_31404497_812328_n by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4151/4846622161_eb86d00118.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="38331_1533573304251_1382360753_31404497_812328_n" /></a><br /><br />Here's the after:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125300@N06/4846622121/" title="DSC_1334 by sara.finne, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4150/4846622121_f7b0f453ce.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_1334" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>Mark was VERY surprised, everyone liked the cakes and I only had one mini-meltdown so I consider this a successful baking venture! </div>eatingoodinthehood@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10821638123322985902noreply@blogger.com0