The Time of Your Life....

Come have the time of your life at the Valentine to the Market Party this Saturday! There will definitely be some dirty dancing.

Looking for inspiration on some new (or old) moves?  Watch this!

You're the One that I Want!

We always wondered just how Olivia Newton John squeezed into those skin tight satin pants when she morphs into sexy Sandy at the end of the movie Grease. 

Hope that we look half as good as she does when we doll ourselves up for the party of the Season at the Reading Terminal Market this Sat nite.  Tickets are still available here.

Put on your dancing shoes and show your Valentines that you're the ones that they want!

Shall We Dance?

Absolutely! Don't miss the dance party of the year: The Valentine to the Market. You never know, your king may be looking for his next queen, and he won't find you if you aren't there.

Maniacs Welcome!

Jennifer Beals would need to spruce up her look a bit, but once she dons appropriate attire, she'll be welcome at the Valentine to the Market. We'll see you (and any other maniacs you can round up) there!

History in a Box...

Remember the old Wilbur's chocolate factory near the Ben Franklin Bridge?  How many times have you driven past this and caught this stately building out of the corner of your eye?

Once upon a time, Philadelphia boasted some 20 or more chocolate retailers, according to the The Pennsylvania General Store.  In this most chocolatey of months, the Store is celebrating Philly's chocolate pedigree at the Reading Terminal Market by offering the Philadelphia Chocolate Collection, sourced from producers in the Pennsylvania region. This collection features the best known names from times of yore and features firm faves such as Lore's Milk Chocolate Marshmallows and confections dreamed up by choclatiers like Zitners, Asher,Wilbur, West Chester's Eclat & our personal pick...Neuchatel with its Dark Chocolate Truffle from Oxford.

And if you are inspired to make your own Pennsylvania chocolate, we suggest Philly Food Lovers' Chocolate Dipped Strawberries.  They pleased our crowds on Valentine's Day, and are sure to please yours any day of the year.  I once presented a tray of these to my hairdresser, who was nursing a broken heart from an internet romance gone bad.  They cheered him up significantly--at least enough to drag himself out of the doldrums to do my highlights.  And I am confident that they will have the same effect on you and yours.  Even if there's no broken heart involved--and I sincerely hope there isn't--these lovely little nuggets are sure to brighten someone's day.  

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

1 dozen large, perfect strawberries, washed and DRIED
1 cup Ghirardelli dark chips (60% cacao)--if you prefer to keep it local, use dark Wilbur Buds, chopped
parchment paper

Rinse strawberries, and set out to dry.  If you don't have time to allow them to air dry, use a hairdryer.  Seriously.  If they remain damp, the chocolate won't stick.    Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a microwave proof bowl for 3 minutes on 50% power.  Stir til smooth and dip the berries til thoroughly coated.  Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and either allow to harden at room temp (1-2 hrs) or refrigerate to expedite the process (20 minutes.)

These are best enjoyed with loved ones the day they are made.

Dig Your Way Out of the Dog House

Looking for some way...like poor ol' Spike from Tom & Jerry...to dig your way out of the Dog House?  Perhaps your Valentine's Day gift missed the mark on Monday?  Never fear, the Reading Terminal Market has come to your rescue with the Ultimate Valentine's Gift!  If your beloved is a foodie then this will surely make him/her salivate...The package includes:

• Two VIP tickets to the Valentine to the Market Gala on Saturday, Febuary 26
• Serve as Sous-Chef to T.V. Celeb and reknowned local Chef Michael Schulson at the Cook-Off at the Valentine to the Market V.I.P Pre-Party (apron provided to protect your finery).
• Chef's table dinner for two on the evening of your choice at Sampan, Michael's much vaunted Asian inspired restaurant.   

Only 1 of these packages, priced at $2,000, is available.  Hurry if you want to snag this opportunity--a true "Get out of the Dog House" pass if there ever was one!

For more information, and to purchase, visit www.PartyTicketsOnline.com/Valentine and click on the tab marked "Ultimate Valentine Gift".

A gifted chef with a knack for sharing his hard-won knowledge of Asian culture and cuisine in a friendly, approachable way, Chef Schulson makes frequent print and television appearances, having starred in TLC’s competition series Ultimate Cake-Off, Style network’s series Pantry Raid and Discovery Channel’s Go Ahead, Make My Dinner.

Go ahead, Make Your Squeeze's Day!

M-ole, M-ole, M-ole, M-ole, Feeling Hot, Hot Hot

Sure, we all love chocolate in its traditional forms, when it is usually presented as a sweet.  But no discussion of chocolate would be complete without a mention of mole sauce, which is generally considered the national dish of Mexico.

The history of the dish is disputed.  Some claim it was 'necessity is the mother of invention', in which 16th C. Mexican nuns, whose cupboard was bare, frantically prepared a  meal for a visiting archbishop with the ingredients on hand.  They ground various spices, chilis and chocolate, simmered the mixture for hours, killed the only animal on hand, which happened to be a turkey and roasted the bird with the makeshift sauce.  The bish loved it and mole was born.

Another account credits the Aztecs with inventing the dish.  Believing that the European conquistadores were divine apparitions, they served them a feast laden with chocolate, which was then considered sacred.  Others historians disagree, claiming that this would be the Christian equivalent of making veal marsala with sacramental wine.

Whatever the heritage,  mole is here to stay.   Candidly, people tend to love it or hate it.  But we think the haters simply haven't had good mole.  When done properly, it rivals the most complex and sophisticated of dishes; think of a Thai or Indian curry with deep layers of flavor, or a perfectly executed French Bordelaise.  We suggest sampling it at 12th St Cantina; their chicken mole is muy bueno.   Alternatively, the Cantina sells prepared mole for the time-strapped or novice cooks among us.     If you are inclined to make your own, here's an easy version:

Easy Mole Sauce (makes enough to serve 4-6)

• 3 cups chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons vegetables oil
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon aniseed
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 to 3 cups chicken broth
• 1-pound can tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 3 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

In a large heavy skillet sauté the onion in the oil over moderately high heat, stirring, until it is golden brown. In a mortar with a pestle (or spice grinder) crush the coriander seeds and the aniseed, stir them into the onion mixture with the chili powder, the sugar, the cinnamon, and the cloves, and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the cocoa powder, the peanut butter, 2 cups of the broth, the tomatoes, the raisins, the garlic paste, and salt to taste and simmer the sauce, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.    In a blender or food processor purée the sauce in batches, adding the remaining broth as necessary to thin it to the desired consistency.   Coat skilled with thin film of oil, and heat.  Add chicken or fish and sear quickly to seal in juices.  Transfer the sauce to the skillet, cover and simmer the mixture on low,  15 minutes for fish, 30 for chicken. Serve  over rice if desired, sprinkled with the sesame seeds.

Forgive us, but we couldn't help ourselves....