Delicious Soup of Green

Let me start out with this: Soup is not my favorite food.

(unlike some people I know. . . @lovetheporters)

But how good does this look?!  And healthy to boot.

Original recipe HERE

Step one: Gather your ingredients.

So, I substituted 2 mild poblano peppers for the "sweet green peppers" and green chilis

What are sweet green peppers?

Bell peppers?

Ew.

And I would have added the green chilis, but I couldn't find them at my neighborhood whole foods on a Saturday when it was PACKED.  

Step two: Follow the instructions.

Kind of.

I can't follow a recipe to save my life, but this one I came pretty close.

I cooked up all the yummy vegetables and served it over the cilantro, avocado, and yogurt.  (Shouldn't have added the yogurt.  MJV was NOT happy.  Maybe goat's milk yogurt would have been better tolerated, but I digress)

A beautiful presentation, if I do say so myself.

If I made it again, I would probably sub kale for spinach and add jalapenos for some heat.  And I would serve it with quinoa instead of brown rice.

I think the salsa you use is also pretty important.

I selected Herdez and a WF store brand green salsa in a 1:1 ratio.

Delicious.

And leftovers for days, that are equally delicious if you add fresh avocado and cilantro to each serving individually.

Or leave out the cilantro, if you don't like it.

But I like it.

Ben would want me to point out that this should absolutely NOT be called "chili," per the original recipe.  It is certainly soup.  And good soup it is.

Millionaire Mac'n'Cheese

One of the dishes Ben requested when asked for his absolute favorite must-have food for Thanksgiving was the macaroni and cheese that Aunt Kendall made us last year.

(The others were buttery pull-apart bread, mashed potatoes, and something green)

So, it didn't make the cut for Thanksgiving, in fear of having WAY too much food, 

but we did procure the ingredients and make it a week later.  

It probably would have made a delicious addition to our meal.

Affectionately nicknamed "Millionaire Mac'n'Cheese" due to the 

selection and abundance of upper middle class cheeses in the recipe.

(not the high class cheeses behind the case, but not processed cheese food either)

(heh.)

Here is the original recipe from Bobby Flay

Note: The pancetta is not optional.  I strongly dislike bacon-like foods, 

but it really enhances the dish.  

Shred the cheeses together, reserving about a cup for the melted topping.

(We made a half recipe)

Here is where the pancetta would be, 

but we learned the hard way how important it is.

The key to the roux is adding heated milk to the browned flour.

"I don't like elbow macaroni.  What pasta would you use, Kendall?"

"I always use bow tie pasta.  Because it's pretty."

Cook until the top cheese is melty and the sides begin to brown.

It will thicken upon standing.

(Do wait the recommended 10 minutes before eating.

For texture and to prevent from burning your precious tastebuds!)

As previously discussed, Malcolm is sensitive to my eating dairy.

We tested this theory again with Thanksgiving (which contained plenty of milk and butter, but no cheese or yogurt) and he was fine, but it turns out that large portions of really delicious cheese are still a problem.  It was a delicious experiment, at least.

Lemon Bar Bites

Oh yum.

Just looking at the pictures makes me want to make more of these.

Like most good recipes that we find these days, I discovered this jewel on Pinterest.

Click here for the original recipe.

These are so good.

Fairly labor intensive, but not difficult.

And, seriously, the lemon curd is too easy to make to justify buying the canned kind.

Just keep stirring.  Like gravy.

(if you have a little sister, this is her job)

Things I learned from making 2 separate batches:

1. Cream the butter and sugar in the mixer for twice as long as you think you should.  The only possible way to do this too long would result in melted butter.
2. If you do not whip the butter/sugar mixture long enough, your dough will be crumbly.  This is okay, it does bake together, but it is hard to work with and the cookies will not have as smooth a texture (and thus, be messier to eat and ugly).
3. Do NOT, under any circumstances, fill the mini muffin cups more than half full of dough.  There simply will not be enough room for filling if you do this.
4. This recipe makes 5-6 dozen cookies.  
5. There is no need to grease a non-stick mini-muffin tin.  The recipe calls for a 1/2 cup of butter.  That's a whole stick of butter.

*Ben does not think these should be called cookies.  And lemon bars are his favorite, so he gets a vote.  So, their official title is "bites."  But they are really 2 or 3 bites.  And thus, cookies.

Step 4a in the original recipe:
Remove from oven and using the end of a wooden spoon handle,
make an indentation in the center of each cookie

Step 4b in the original recipe:
Fill with a teaspoon of lemon curd.
(special thanks to baby V for help stabilizing this shot)

The ugly cookies you get if you "drop" a tablespoon of dough
into each cup.

How I recommend your dough look
before "dropping" it into the muffin cups.

The resulting beautiful, delicious, lemon bar bites.

And can you even imagine the derivations?!

Add lavender or rosemary to the dough for a spring twist.

Swap out the lemon with orange and add 1/4 tsp of almond oil and a 

good amount of cinnamon to the crust.

(that's an industry measurement)

The original recipe has a link to Fudge-Filled Toffee Pecan Sandies,

which look even more complicated and a very different kind of delicious.

Roasted Beet, Jalapeno, and Blue Cheese Salad

I know it sounds weird, but bear with me, it'll be worth it.

First, how do you feel about beets?

I love them.

And I am a firm believer that the only way to eat them is roasted and cooled.

(Before I had ever eaten a beet, I asked my step-mom what they tasted like, since they had a bunch from their garden.  She struggled to describe them in words, but responded, 

"Well, you would probably eat them if you were starving."

Not a glowing review, Ruth :)

They have since become one of my favorite foods.)

How do you roast a beet?

Great question, and there are a few different ways, 

but the following works for me consistently every time, with minimal mess.

Step one: Buy beets.  

Make sure they are about the same size so roasting them takes roughly the same amount of time.  Pictured above are golden and red beets.  Golden beets have a more mellow flavor and both are beautiful in a salad.

Step two A: Trim the greens.

Leave about a half inch of stems attached to reduce the risk of juices leaking out during roasting.

Hint: The greens are edible as well.  Use them just as you would spinach or swiss chard.  I recommend wilted with quinoa and a protein.

Step two B: DON'T trim the "tails."  The only reason not to cut off the root is, again, to reduce the risk of juices leaking out during roasting.  They will be discarded with the rest of the peeled outer layer. 

*Beets have a LOT of sugar.  So, if their juices leak while roasting, the pan is a sticky mess and requires soaking.  I don't like doing dishes, so it seems to make sense to me to avoid this with these simple steps.  Also, don't you want the beets to stay juicy and delicious?

Step three:  Rub them with oil and wrap them tightly in aluminum foil.  

(You could skip this step if you are roasting a whole dutch oven full.  I usually only roast 3 at a time, so I put them on a cookie sheet instead.)

Step four: Bake at 325-425 for 45-60 minutes.  It doesn't really matter.  If you are using the oven for something else, just stick them in.  

Step five:  Let them cool. (I rarely succeed at waiting long enough.)  Unwrap them and peel them.  If they have been cooked for a sufficient amount of time, this will involve very little effort and result in pink fingers.  Don't worry, it comes off your skin within a day.  Your clothes, on the other hand, will likely be stained, so take appropriate precautions or just be really careful.

Step six:  Slice into 1/8" to 1/4" slices.  

If cut to be circular, they will have concentric circle markings.  Perpendicular to this they will still be striped, but not as pretty.

If you are making my favorite salad (this one, right now), then stick a couple jalapenos in the oven for the last 15 minutes or so of roasting time.  Turn them halfway through.  They are done when you can see blisters of their thin skin or they are browning.  

Note: red jalapenos are, in fact, hotter than green ones.  

This is not, necessarily,a bad thing.

After they have cooled, peel the plastic-looking skin off.  

De-seed and de-vein them, then finely dice (brunoise, if you will).

On a bed of gorgeous greens, place the sliced beets artistically and sprinkle the brunoised jalapenos.  Crumble some salty, delicious blue cheese and drizzle on some tahini-based dressing. 

Serious.  You came to the right place for weird food.

Weird, DELICIOUS food.

Maybe we can talk about grilled summer fruit on salads, next.

Donatiellos' visit, part 2 (due, in Italian)

We started Sunday at the 2nd Street Festival in an up and coming hipster neighborhood in northeast Philadelphia called Northern Liberties.

Had some brunch, people watched, shopped the tent vendors, and enjoyed a couple local brews (well, the other 3 members of our party did) before we decided to catch the end of the Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park.

With Ben's stellar negotiation skills, we were able to watch a few innings for only a couple of dollars each, and then celebrate the win at the attached bar, McFadden's.

Jenna, lovin' on Franklin Chloe

Aron and Jenna
Although he would prefer Wrigley,
professional baseball is still fantastic
on a Sunday afternoon.

Dinner at Jose Garces' AMADA.

There are not words to describe how delicious 

each and every tapas dish is at this place.

-fantastic service, amazing food, good Spanish wine-

(we were really bad at photo-documentation for this portion of the adventure)

Before they left, we had to stop by corporate Philadelphia for the LOVE statue, 

City Hall, and the game piece statues.

And the Comcast Center.

Yes, one of the most impressive things to see in Philadelphia is 

in the lobby of an evil cable company headquarters.

(I will give them props for being the nation's second tallest green building)

Lunch at Reading Terminal Market (like Reading Railroad from Monopoly, except we all pronounced it incorrectly unless we were from PA.  It's "rehdding" not "reeding") 

and off to the airport!

Thank you for coming!

the Donatiellos come to Philly!

Welcome to Philly!

We definitely packed a ton of activity into the 3 days that my sister and her husband were here.  We, of course, planned our days around food.

The rules were:

1. Eat at an Iron Chef Restaurant
2. Eat an authentic cheesesteak
3. Enjoy prohibition style beverages

I'm happy to report that we went above and beyond all requirements.

They arrived on Friday evening and after waiting for Ben to get off work, we landed at

Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company for a well-crafted cocktail.

A bar that truly served through prohibition and 

where the mixologists are revered today.

Seriously, check out their drink menu.

And what trip to Philadelphia is complete without authentic Italian food?

We first discovered this restaurant when my Dad and Ben's mom moved us up here.

Despite its modest store front, it has become a staple for 

delicious, authentic Italian food and has a ridiculous wine cellar.

Even sommelier-turned-wine-importer Jenna was impressed with the selection:

Proudly holding the book of labels.
Check out the list here.

On Saturday, after croissants from the 

Thai-French bakery around the corner from our house, 

we started out with a walking tour of Historic Philly.

(Ben and I have gotten very good at this tour and would love to 

show you around if you haven't gotten to experience it already!)

We headed back to Tony Luke's for authentic cheesesteaks:

I believe they got the Donatiello seal of approval.
Provolone, not Wiz, for these guys.

After a brief rain delay, we recharged by heading to the museum district.

We all made it to the top of the Art Museum steps!

I think Aron has video documentation of my 7.5 month pregnant self keeping up.

Our child, who has been re-nicknamed Franklin Chloe, enjoyed the adventure.

The Rocky statue has been moved from the
top of the steps to the side, but is still a
popular tourist photo op.

After a brief stop across from the Eastern State Penitentiary at Fare for a refreshing beverage and amazing zucchini chips, we stopped by the Italian Market.

We picked up Burrata, truffle Salami, spiced mozzarella bites 

and gorgeous Jersey tomatoes to enjoy with a 2004 Barbera:

Then off to another culinary adventure at Talula's Garden.

If you click on one link in this entire post, go HERE

to read their award-winning cheese plate menu.

So good.

And they have a beautiful patio.  Very difficult to photograph, but take my word for it.

(Or, even better, come see it for yourself!)

Jenna and me in front of the water faucet fountain

Dessert was served at chez Vandaveer

(but purchased at Isgro's while we were in the Italian market):

cannolis: ricotta + chocolate chip or mascarpone
eclair: Boston cream style

mascarpone cannolis were the unanimous favorite.

And by unanimous,
I mean amongst the people who like cannolis.

Whew!  That was a lot for a day and a half.

And we still made time for more!

Which I will tell you about tomorrow.

Sylvia and Luigi Go Dancing

 Our neighbors, Sylvia and Luigi, are two of my favorite people.

You may be familiar with Sylvia's pizzelles and biscotti.

They are delicious.

She bakes batches every day and is very generous.

On Sunday evening, one of Lou's long-term clients

(Lou has been cutting his hair since 1964!)

drove the hour and a half to South Philly and took them

to their favorite place to go dancing.

From what I understand, Lou is a strong leader out on the dance floor -
not bad for a 94 year old!

They used to go dancing 4 times a week!

Don't they look nice all dolled up?

Fun in Philadelphia with my Father-in-Law

What is a trip to Philly without a trip to Citizens Bank Park?

The best baseball stadium in the country for vegetarians.

(Seriously.)

 And check out this awesome pic of our mascot, the Phanatic!

No doubt in deep discussion about which team is worse this year,
the Cubs or the Phils.
See how nice Rick is to wear the hat that his son bought for him?

a legacy of logos

And what trip would be complete without an authentic cheesesteak?

There is surely a battle between Geno's, Pat's, and Tony Luke's.

I can confidently say that they all have cheese fries and hot sauce (yum) 

and that the hoagie bread is the most delicious at Tony Luke's.

I'll leave the any other judgements up to people who enjoy eating cows.

We went to check out University City and find
the Sigma Chi house at the University of Pennsylvania

It was really pretty.  Sadly, no one was there to let us look around inside.

And then, with the help of a college student that Rick befriended on the street 

(like father, like son, eh?) we found a really good burger joint.

(of course it was an Iron Chef restaurant.  Thanks, Bobby Flay)

Again, allegedly good burgers; I had a salad.

And a very delicious (seriously) non-alcoholic beer.

Which was exactly what this pregnant lady needed on this triple digit weekend.

the Fourth of July, South Philly style

Apparently, Ben is surprised by my enormous belly.

Or astonished by how big his baby is getting?

(both of us, I guess)

Okay, onto the food:

Appetizer: figs with goat brie and pancetta 

Michelle on the grill full of meat.

Guess what?  I ate a hot dog.

It's an American holiday, I had to eat something terrible for me.

The sides:  grilled corn on the cob and
Sarah's delicious tomato/cucumber/green bean salad

Ben's dessert: grilled cinnamon pineapple.
Yum.

A nicely posed picture in my festive patriotic dress.

All my best maternity clothes are hand-me-downs.

(Thanks, Kim!!)

Happy pre-Fathers' Day, Ben!

 We went to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden!

I made Ben take this picture with the Philadelphia skyline in the background.

Isn't our city pretty?!  And, my husband is pretty handsome, too.

The jellyfish are always my favorite.

How cool are they?!

And they glow under black lights!

There were lots and lots of sharks to see, too!

This one was swimming above us as we walked through a tunnel surrounded by aquarium.  It was pretty cool.

Then, we made dinner.

We got to use the pasta maker that my mom got us for Christmas!

(also seen here)

freshly made chive pasta
(with chives from our garden!)

with sage cream sauce and porcini mushrooms
(from the Italian Market)

And we got to enjoy our new patio furniture!

(before it got to be 100 degrees here)

Next year - the zoo, with Little Aveer!