It’s been a busy week, and one that not only kept me away from the market last Saturday, but also out of the kitchen.  With The Thin Man playing at the County and Ambler, the All Star Game (and Home Run Derby), I had the opposite of last week’s alcohol-free/no-meat week, and ended up drinking and eating out  every night.

But, with the haul I got this morning, this week looks a lot more promising in terms of cooking time; I already have all of my meals picked out.   Continue reading Market Haul – Sat, July 17

Sorry to the others, but our favorite stand at the market on Saturday mornings is Eden Valley. This is for two simple reasons: Their fruit tastes amazing and the farmers so really friendly, especially Lem. Well, two weeks ago they had tons of sour cherries – which are the perfect kind to make a pie with. Unfortunately, I did not have time two weeks ago to make a pie, so they have been sitting in the freezer waiting for their moment to come. That moment, turned out to be really tasty.

Continue reading Sour Cherry Pie

If there were such a category as American Provincial, Emily would be the leading exponent of the style.  Where my goal in the kitchen is to make something unique and complex, Em aims for simple but flavorful.  Together, we balance as we never have only one taste or the other.  The recipe below is one that she came up with while in Italy last year, but translates perfectly to an American summer. A simple and easily prepared dish, but one that retains all of the good flavor and crunch of the zucchini.

Continue reading Summer Squash and Beans

I grilled a London Broil last week, but did not marinate it long enough and it came out a bit chewy.  (If there is a reoccurring theme to the past couple posts it would be “making the best of kitchen mistakes”.)  I tried to make it into a sandwich, but the meat was too tough and I could not bite through it.  I did not want to cook it again – risking making it chewier – and with the heat, I wanted to find a way to serve it cold.

Continue reading Beef with Corn Salsa

I bought a bottle of Godiva Chocolate Liqueur six or so years ago after drinking a brilliant chocolate martini.  The fact that I still have the same bottle should say everything about how I fared at recreating that drink.  Not only could I not make it, but I found that I not find any drink that I enjoyed with the stuff.  So, on the shelf it has rested. Until tonight.

After my tasty squash curry, I decided I needed a simple dessert – nothing heavy as it is still pretty freaking hot out. I found some vanilla ice cream in the freezer (thanks to either Emily or Cupcake for purchasing that), but no berries to don it with. When suddenly – I remembered that Godiva languishing on the shelf.  Just a splash on the vanilla bean…heavenly.

Grated zucchini getting a moisture treatment; curry on the stove.

It was 102 in Philly tonight around dinner time, and I needed something light.  In addition to that, tonight is my first night at home with Emily away on her singing program, so I am cooking for myself.  I am never one to go all out in the kitchen for myself; I tend to just end up eating a crust of bread while watching the Phils.  But, I promised Em I would feed myself real meals while she was away.  And, so, I have made it challenge: Cook something that is quick, easy, and is will not give me the meat sweats.

Continue reading Simple Summer Squash Curry

The recipe I got from the James Beard American Cookbook seemed too simple to be believed.  I thought he knew something I didn’t and so I followed it by the letter and I ended up with a sloppy wet mess of a pie — A pie that really wished it was a cobbler.  Don’t get me wrong – it was quite tasty, but not a pie I would not feel comfortable bringing to a party.

Continue reading (Sloppy) Peach Blueberry Pie/Cobbler

Wish I could take credit for this one, but it really belongs to Emily (with The Silver Spoon as a diving off point).  It is a perfect dish for a hot summer night — as long as you have good, fresh veg, which are the key.

Continue reading Early Summer Pasta Primavera

With the announcement of Yannick Nézet-Séguin (YNS) as the 8th music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, management was finally able to lock in the final (and most crucial) piece of the orchestra’s roster.  Just like a good baseball squad, the orchestra needs not only the best position players, but the right manager to acheive success — players with musical talent are incredibly important, but it is the music director’s role to make sure they gel into a unified sound and work as a cohesive team. The orchestra has made some great moves in the past couple years  – Ricardo Morales’ clarinet tightened the woodwind section, and with the addition of Carol Jantsch, tuba, and Jennifer Montone, principal horn, the brasses are hot as ever.

If a baseball team did not have the consistency of a day-in-day-out manager, no matter how good the players are, without leadership, it is doubtful they will be bringing home rings at the end of the season.  Skipperless, the Orchestra can muster the occasional good concert, but they need a consistent presence to redefine their sound in the Kimmel Center era — and make it marketable once again.

Continue reading Phil Orch Lands New Skipper

Asparagus season is often a short window, and because of it, we tend to load up on it every week.  After the first couple weeks, simple blanched asparagus just seems repetitive and something else is needed to mix it up. Mom found this recipe (credit where credit is due…it is Martha’s) and we tried it out last night.  As long as you have good strong stalks, this is a great way to mix up your asparagus consumption.

Using thicker, stronger stalks (make sure they are not soggy), snap off the woody ends and trim off the leaflets that run along the stem.  Then using a peeler (or we used a cuisinart), shave them asparagus lengthwise into thin strips.  Toss with a lemon juice and olive oil, salt and pepper. (I used a 2-1 ratio of oil to lemon – wisked with a fork until a little frothy.) Top with shaved Parmesan or Reggiano.