Coffee: The Magic Ingredient

Dirty Chai Latte - yes please!

Coffee, Coffea, Caffeine!  

by Mira Treatman, Old City Coffee, inc.

Coffee is many things to many people, it's a: 

• pick me up in the morning, 
• an after-dinner treat with frothy milk, 
• a cultural icon, 
• a millennium-old stimulant, 
• a commodity, 
• a status symbol, and, most significantly...
•  an energy-bearing plant.              

Coffea Arabica is a species indigenous to the Red Sea region that includes modern day Yemen and Ethiopia. 

Legend has it that Ethiopian farmers discovered the plant’s powers after witnessing their livestock gain more energy after noshing on the Coffea Arabica leaves. The secret to this varietal is its soil content. Mountainous regions, such as the coffee-growing highlands of the Red Sea, tend to have high levels of volcanic soil rich in minerals that supply the bush with calcium, iron, and magnesium. 

Why Do We Love Coffee..?
Caffeine, the key chemical in coffee, evolved in Coffea because it acts as a poison to many herbivores.  This protects the plant from being eaten. The consumers of the plant who are not poisoned by this stimulant reap many benefits: 

Caffeine inhibits the sleep receptors in the brain. Essentially, this means that once caffeine enters the bloodstream it tells the happy energizer brain chemicals to be energetic and the sleepy relaxer brain chemicals to not act. 

Caffeine also increases adrenaline in the bloodstream as it’s metabolized, which tells the body to prepare for battle or a jog or even simply helps us face the work day. 

Through a transfer of energy from sunlight to leaves to beans to you, coffee has gained its status as an iconic, well-loved drink.  It's got a kick in every cup!

At Old City Coffee we think that Coffee is the perfect accompaniment to social gatherings.  So we've reinstated our popular Open Mic Night!  Old City Coffee at 221 Church Street will be open on First Friday, October 5th, for an open stage for musicians and spoken word artists. 

Interested in taking part?

Sign ups start at 5:30 pm with a 6:00 pm show. This is the perfect venue to sip on your favorite caffeinated beverages while enjoying the best local arts Philly has to offer.

If you can't make it on the night, then try this popular recipe at home.  And maybe we'll see you next time!

Old City Coffee Dirty Chai Latte
Now that you’ve learned a bit more about coffee culture and our obsession with caffeine, here's a well-loved recipe with a maximal amount of boosting energy in our delicious recipe. 

This latte combines espresso with another source of caffeine, black tea.

Ingredients
5 oz Old City Coffee house-made Chai (a secret mix of spices and black tea brewed to near perfection and sweetened with honey)
3 oz soy, whole, or skim milk
1 shot espresso
Ground cinnamon

1. To serve hot, heat chai either in a stainless steal pitcher if at an espresso machine or in a saucepan on a stovetop. 
2. Pour tea into mug and cover with a lid. 
3. Froth milk until about an inch of foam forms. If using an espresso machine, use the same stainless pitcher and pour milk followed by the foam on top. Saucepans work just fine too. To enjoy cold, mix ingredients in a pitcher and pour over a glass of ice. 
4. A dusting of ground cinnamon on top is always a nice finish. 

See you soon we hope either in Old City or at our cafe in Reading Terminal Market.

Creole Tomato Jam

Goat Cheese and Tomato Jam Crostini was once the height of trendiness in New Orleans' restaurants. Having made a platter as an appetizer recently, I can understand why.

I first heard about this Creole Tomato Jam at a cooking class in La Cucina in Reading Terminal Market.  

Hosted by Anna Florio who had organized a "Girls' Night Out", I crashed the class in order to feature it here. 

The chef that night was Bill Beck of Beck's Cajun Cafe and this jam was on his demonstration menu.

This recipe comes courtesy of the official New Orleans website, www.NOLA.com, which is well worth a visit.  This site offers a wealth of ideas and insights into the history, traditions, culture and food of this wonderful city.  

Creole Tomato Jam (Makes 1 cup)


Ingredients:
1 pound Creole tomatoes (about 3 medium)** see cook's note
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
4 whole cloves
1-inch stick cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
3 tablespoons sherry (or red wine) vinegar
Juice of 1 lime

Instructions:
(The online recipe suggested that this step 1 is optional.  We'd suggest that it's worth taking the time to do this as you'll get a smoother jam without the skins.)

1. Cut an X on the bottom of the tomatoes and plunge them into a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle, and peel.
2. Roughly chop and put the tomatoes, with their juices, into a saucepan with remaining ingredients
3. Over medium-low heat, stir gently and occasionally until almost all moisture evaporates and mixture thickens into a jam-like consistency, 45 minutes to an hour
4. Remove bay leaf, thyme sprig and cinnamon stick. Ladle into a clean jar or container
5. Refrigerate for up to 1 month.

**Creole tomatoes can be any large, round, meaty tomato grown in Louisiana; they are not one particular varietal.  Around here,  ripe beefsteaks, Jerseys, or any of the large, flavorful heirloom varieties are a reasonable substitute.

The mixture at the start of the process...

The ruby rich jam 45 minutes later...

Serving Ideas

• As a chutney-like condiment for a cheese plate
• As a condiment for any roasted/grilled meats (it was especially good with a slow-roasted salmon)
• As a final flourish to crostini/appetizers

Use your imagination and marry it with any number of foods!

Mother's Day Gifts at the Reading Terminal Market

Looking for some interesting gift ideas to supplement your (standard) bunch of Mother's Day flowers?

We've got you covered...

Mooching around the Market this week we were struck by the range of potential Mother's Day gifts and thought we just had to tell you!

The Reading Terminal Market is more than just food; it's more than a lunch destination.  It's more like a department store with both fresh produce and items related to the consumption and enjoyment of food.

So here it is.  Our top five Mother's Day gift ideas...

 1.  First stop has got to be the Pennsylvania General Store.  Every holiday, including Mother's Day, owner Michael and his team pull together an impressive selection of chocolates, candies, cookies and other generally sweet produce for our delectation.  No need to gift wrap.  The store is happy to do this for you.  If you'd prefer to lean on their mail order service see,  the Pennsylvania General Store website.

2.  The linens at Contessa's are heavenly.  Bright, lively prints and colors, fit to grace any table, on any occasion...





See Contessa French Linens for further styles and info






3. Ever tried the handmade soaps and bath salts at Terralyn? 

Owner Lynette Manteau makes up to 70lbs of soap a week! 

This soap is all natural and is like nothing else.  Its a combo of oils including olive, coconut, palm and soy butter.  Once you've tried it you'll be hooked!

4. Is your mother into cooking?  If so, she'll enjoy meeting with Anna Florio, chef and owner of La Cucina in the Market.  Anna runs regular cooking classes, including Ladies-only "Girls' Night Out" classes, which are always packed to the gills (excuse the pun).

We checked out the last Girls Night Out. 

The pictures speak louder than my words can :)

To view the upcoming calendar for La Cucina, visit Anna's website.

5. Last but not least, anyone who is a baker will love the preserved fruits, spreads, jams on sale at the Pennsylvania Dutch stands. 

I have a particular fondness for preserved pears and preserved peaches - these are especially useful in the Fall when you're in the mood to make warming crumbles and pies.  These are beautifully packaged at the Market, many are available in gift sets.




Happy Baking, Eating and Celebrating this Mother's Day!

It's a Great Year for Strawberries!

LAST year's berries at Fair Food Farmstand in Reading Terminal Market; we're counting the days til local berries arrive....

Doesn't everyone love strawberries?   This year’s harvest is especially sweet, because the berry crops are bigger than ever and arriving early.  Berry season usually starts in June, but due to the mild winter, we can expect to see fresh strawberries in May.  

As we always do when we have a produce question, we hoofed it to Reading Terminal Market and consulted with the experts.   When asked about this season's bumper crop, Jimmy Iovine of Iovine Brothers Produce told us, “This is a good year for berry lovers.  Customers should be able to get a lot of berries for reasonable prices.  The berries have been great all year, but they will be the juiciest very soon, better than we have seen them in a long while”. 

Consider the possibilities:  Chocolate dipped strawberries or Strawberry Fool.   Healthy choices can be tasty, too—fresh strawberries atop a yogurt parfait, or pureed in a smoothie.     Don't want to make your own?  Head to the Down Home Diner; their strawberry topped pancakes have a near cult following!

Berries are bursting with necessary vitamins and minerals, and this year’s bumper crops promise to be both delicious and affordable.    Next post:  my newly developed recipe for strawberry bread.  What's your favorite way to enjoy strawberries?  (Daquiris anyone?)

Talking Pasta with La Cucina's Anna Florio

To look at Anna Florio, Owner of  La Cucina at the Market, you don't immediately think "food".  She is strikingly lovely, has charisma to spare,  a warmth that makes you feel you've been friends forever,  she's always impeccably dressed, and she's slender.   But you would quickly be reminded not to judge a book by its cover, for Anna is a serious Chef.  Her cooking school and demonstration kitchen in Reading Terminal Market just celebrated its 4th anniversary.

Having grown up with deep Italian culinary traditions, which included spending summers at her Grandparents' home in Campania, Italy, Anna is passionate about Italian food.  Our conversation naturally turned to pasta.

"I remember learning to make pasta dough with my grandmother, and even though it sounds silly, part of the key to great pasta is to put some love into it.  Make it by hand.  Feel the dough.  I use a blend of  unbleached white flour and semolina flour."

When asked about dry vs. fresh pasta, Anna's offers some interesting observations:  "Sometimes dry is better.  You can't really make fresh pasta al dente--that firm 'to the teeth' texture that epitomizes perfectly cooked pasta.  Sure, fresh is wonderful in a dish like pappardalle bolognese, where you want that rich, chewy noodle, or pesto, or for a filled pasta like ravioli.  But one of my favorite pasta dishes is penne with marinara sauce--made with dry, boxed penne cooked just al dente."

We also had to ask about the strict Italian edict banning Parmesan cheese on seafood pasta.  (I confess to dousing my linguine and clams with generous scoops of grated cheese.)  Anna disproves--but in the nicest possible way.  "Seafood and dairy just don't mix for traditionalists.  One thing to consider is the innate saltiness of seafood, and when you add a salty Parmesan it is overkill.  I also don't feel that the saltiness of the fish mixes will with the dairy of the cheese--salt and milk simply don't go together."

To see Anna in action, try one of her upcoming classes:  Brunch Italiano, Fish without Fear, or my personal favorite:  Handmade Pasta for Two.

Watch for upcoming posts featuring pasta ideas--not to mention Anna's big reveal on the fatal mistake that most Americans make when cooking Marinara.  Stay tuned!

Lamb and Eggplant Lasagne

We practically started a food fight on Facebook this week. 

We asked the innocuous question: "Lamb - love it or loathe it?"  And guess what?   The foodie community is pretty polarized on the matter, much like my family where we're split down the middle with the adults liking and our teenagers refusing to eat the stuff unless it's disguised - as it is in the following recipe.

The comments on the Reading Terminal Market's Facebook page flew thick and fast. 

We shared our recipe for 7-hour lamb and the responses ranged from "yuck" to "love, love, love."  The great lamb divide was best represented by these two Facebook fans one of whom explained:  "Lamb has a funny aftertaste to me, very gamey, no matter how it is cooked."  Another fan thinking aloud pondered: "The majority of people in the U.S. haven't been exposed to Lamb as a meat.  To them it's more of a delicacy, like veal or oysters."  This could be true.  Whereas in European and Middle Eastern cuisines Lamb is a central ingredient, it is less prominent in the American kitchen.

Whether you are a Lamb lover or not, the following recipe is easy to prepare and is a nice twist on a traditional family favorite.  I served it to my teens this weekend and they had no idea they were eating Lamb!

Lamb and Eggplant Lasagne
Greek flavor, like a moussaka, only bulked up with pasta.  I've always wondered whether it would work adding lasagne sheets to a traditional Greek moussaka recipe.  This recipe seems to follow the Greek theme as it calls for feta cheese, which I think will add an interesting twist to these flavors.

Ground lamb is not readily found - except for at Reading Terminal Market!  When making Lamb Kofta or a dish like this requiring ground lamb, we usually ask the folks at Giuntas to grind us fresh lamb mince.

Pulled this recipe from an extraordinary website, which is dedicated to lamb.  Ran through the list and thought "gotta make that." "that one sounds good," "but so does that..."  Check it out for yourself.  It's called Lambrecipes.org - it's chockful of ideas.

Ingredients:
30 (1/4-inch thick) sliced eggplant
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons milk
3 cups fine bread crumbs
1 cup vegetable oil, divided
1 pound feta cheese, crumbled
2 cups prepared béchamel or Alfredo sauce
12 ready-to-use lasagna slices
Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground lamb
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
Sea salt, to taste
2 cups finely chopped onion
½ cup finely chopped celery
½ cup finely chopped carrot
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 cups beef broth
2 (15-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 Bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1) Prepare the sauce: Heat oil in a large pot over medium. Add lamb; season with red pepper and salt. Brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add onion, carrot, and celery; cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients, except cheese, to pot; whisk well to mix. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to a low simmer and cook, covered, 2 hours. Whisk in cheese; cool to room temperature.

2) Prepare the eggplant: Coat eggplant slices in flour; dip into egg mixture; dip into bread crumbs. Shake off excess. Heat ½ cup of vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high. Add eggplant in small batches; cook until golden and crisp, turning once, about 5 minutes total. Remove eggplant to paper towels; repeat with remaining slices.

3) Preheat oven to 375°F. Assemble the lasagna: Lightly grease a lasagna baking pan. Spread 2 cups prepared lamb sauce over bottom of pan. Crumble ¼ cup feta cheese over sauce. Layer 10 slices eggplant over cheese. Cover with a layer of lasagna slices. Repeat with remaining ingredients to form 3 layers total.

4) Spread béchamel sauce over the top of lasagna; sprinkle with any remaining cheese.

5) Bake until golden and bubbly, about 45 minutes. Serve warm.

 With some sauteed greens and a loaf of crusty bread, our Sunday night was complete.

Breakfast Fare at the Market

My foodie partner Keri and I have an ongoing disagreement.  While she is a huge fan of breakfast, she is a downer on brunch, because it falls in that dead zone between breakfast and lunch (and she's a stickler for etiquette.) 

For me, brunch is a languid breakfast -- one of those ultimate indulgences that you only get to do, very occasionally, at the weekend or when you're on holiday and can have a lie in...

What we both agree on, however, is the importance of a hearty breakfast to set you up for the day. 

You'd think that this would be an indisputable truth, but according to the medical website, WebMD, the majority of people still grab a coffee on the go and call that breakfast.  WebMD asserts that "making breakfast a daily habit can help you lose weight -- and keep it off."

In a post entitled Lose Weight: Eat Breakfast, WebMD cites several studies to back up their claim including a study using data supplied by The National Weight Control Registry.  As WebMD maintains: "Eating breakfast is a daily habit for the "successful losers" who belong to The National Weight Control Registry. These people have maintained a 30-pound (or more) weight loss for at least a year, and some as long as six years."

Now that we know how important it is to eat breakfast, here's a selection of some of the breakfasts that we've enjoyed at Reading Terminal Market.



1. Down Home Diner's Spinach Omelet, turkey bacon, pigs in blankets, and grilled tomatoes. 



2.The Famous Smucker's Breakfast Sandwiches - their sausage, egg and cheese is a current fave.

3.  Beck's Cajun Cafe--We mourn the fact that Beck's Beignets are only available on Wednesdays and Sundays. For those other days of the week, try Beck's Bourbon St. Breakfast: Red beans and rice topped with a fried egg.

Beck's Beignets

4.  Le Bus.  When you only have time for a grab-and-go breakfast, then the Market's bakeries are the answer...

LeBus Muffins and Rolls

Metropolitan Croissants

5.  Metropolitan Bakery.  See #4.  Their millet muffin is delicious and provides plenty of whole grain roughage

6.  Profi's Creperie.  We like both their sweet and savory options.  The egg/cheese/ham filled crepe fills the gap nicely.






8.  Dutch Eating Place--This is fast food and fast service, but it's good food too.

9 & 10.  Once you're done, stop by Tootsie's for a healthy lunch-to-go, Old City Coffee for a quick coffee, or one of the fresh produce merchants to grab some fresh fruit for a mid-morning snack!

Pancakes bursting with blueberries, or



A protein-packed cheesy omlet.

Which of these breakfasts stoke your fire in the mornings?

Cold-Busters - Winter Produce that Packs a Punch!

Kiwi Fruit are a First-Rate Source of Vitamin C

I'm beginning to think that I'm in the minority.  Am I the only person who thought that oranges and citrus fruit were the best source of vitamin C to be found at this time of year? That's what my mom always told me during cold and flu season; Eat plenty of oranges!

Blood oranges are almost over

While this is not incorrect, it's not exactly right either...  

Although these fruits are a pretty good source of vitamin C, green veggies knock the socks off citrus fruits any day. 

If you're trying to stave off the coughs and colds so prevalent at this time of year and are in need of a vitamin C fix then the first place to go is your produce merchant for sure.  You're better off, however, stuffing your shopping basket with armloads of fresh greens (bell peppers, brussels sprouts and kale for example) than citrus fruit. 

If you just can't stomach those greens, then try fresh papaya or strawberries -- both these two fruits pack a serious vitamin C punch, according to Butch at Iovines Brothers Produce in Reading Terminal Market.

We polled a number of readers on our FB page and were surprised by the results.  Nearly 50% of those who answered did get it right, picking strawberries, bell peppers and papaya as the top three sources of vitamin C.  It's nice to know that we have such a well educated reading public ;)

Inspired by this post?  Looking for neat ways to serve up a healthy dose of vitamin C?  Here are three kick ass recipes for you:

1. Butch's Signature Winter Salad

2. Rick Nichol's Pan-Fried Baby Brussels

3. Our friend Farah's Indian Kale recipe...this to follow in our next post!

Valentine to the Market at Reading Terminal

What makes a great party?

Great food.  (double check)

Great drinks. (check)
Cool place.  (check, check.)

Fun crowd.  (Up to us.)

Last year's Valentine to the Market was an epic bash.   The food was staggering; catered by the Reading Terminal Market Merchants, the variety and quality were truly amazing.  The bars flowed generously with signature cocktails, wine, and beer.  As to the fun factor, well, we can personally attest to this.   We were literally pushed out the door in a conga line by the security team.  Guess they figured "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."  And they did, right out onto 12th Street.  Kaboudi, the steel drum band who played the final set to close the evening down, was thaaat good, and they'll be back this year. 

In addition to Kaboudi, there will be plenty of other diversions:  Various dance bands and musical performances;  Shutterbooth to snap pictures of you with your nearest and dearest; a tarot card reader to tell your fortune; face painters to adorn your visage (or something else)....

This year's Party is particularly special; it marks the 120th birthday of Reading Terminal Market.  To commemorate this milestone, the party will have a Victorian theme, with ambient entertainers dressed in period costumes.

We'll see you there--don't forget to book your tickets!

DiNic's Secrets to a Great Sandwich

Have you tried the new DiNic's in Reading Terminal Market?  We're delighted to report that it's just like the old DiNic's--I mean, why mess with perfection--but bigger.      We caught up with owner Tommy Nicolosi last week and he was kind enough to take some time from his busy schedule to chat with us.

 PFL:  How long have you been in the business?

TN:  My whole life.  I was literally born into it.  Fortunately, I love it.  My wife says it all the time:  You go to bed happy, you wake up happy.  She's right, as usual.  I see hundreds of people every day.  I work with the other merchants, we cooperate for the good of the Market.  I love the interaction; I would go crazy in an office by myself.  I also love the actual business--working with the meat, cooking,  I'm a lucky man to have the chance to do something that I really enjoy.

PFL:  Tell us about the expansion, and the move to the former Och's Butcher Shop space.

TN:  We did this for one reason:  Our customers.  Our old space only allowed us 2 cooks, so our customers had to wait.  Now we have 4 cooks, so the wait time is much, much  less.  We also have a lot more seating so people can be comfortable.  I feel the ghost of Harry Ochs every day--in a positive way.  Harry was a good friend and such a presence in the Market.

PFL:  What is the secret to a great sandwich?

TN:  (laughing)  That is a GREAT question.  I LOVE that question.  The secret is that there is no secret.  It's all about the fundamentals.  The techniques are centuries old:  brown the meat, caramelize the onions, deglaze the pan, use the classic cooking methods with quality ingredients and you'll have a great sandwich.  Check any cookbook and learn the basics.  We make everything from scratch and we don't skimp on the fundamentals.

PFL:  What changes have you seen in the business?

TN:  Broccoli Rabe.  I grew up eating broccoli rabe 2, 3 times a week, but until recently a lot of people had never heard of it, and when they tried it they didn't like the strong flavor.  Twenty-five years ago, we'd stock it but it would go bad in the kitchen because on one ate it.  Then about five years ago, my son suggested we try it again, and it became so popular that we can barely keep enough in stock.

PFL:  What's your favorite sandwich?

TN:  Brisket.  It's my least profitable item because of the cost of the ingredients, but I love it.

We're hard pressed to choose a favorite, but we'll certainly enjoy exploring the inventory in our decision making process.

Farewell, Soup Month

Copes Corn and Shrimp Chowder on January 31, a fitting adieu to National Soup Month.  As promised in a previous post, I made this and am reporting the results.  It was goooooood.

It is essential to use Cope's Sweet Corn--this dried corn is thought to be a Native American product, originally developed so corn could be stored throughout the year.  Cope's Corn is also popular in Pennsylvania Dutch cooking.  Pop into Pennsylvania General Store in Reading Terminal to stock up.  You'll be hooked; the creamed corn and corn casseroles that feature this ingredient are heavenly.  But I digress.  Back to the chowder.

I am not as notorious as Claire about tinkering with recipes, especially virgin ones, but in this case,  I did some tweaking.  The original version as suggested by Gourmet is here.  My slightly altered (mushroom-free, unpureed, simpler) version is below.  You be the judge.

Cope's Corn and Shrimp Chowder

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup choped parsley
1 7 oz package Cope's corn
3 TBSP butter
1 cup heavy cream
6 cups chicken stock
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 lb medium shrimp, tails removed, shelled, deveined and cut in 1/2
Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce

Saute onion and parsley in butter til softened.  Add corn, cream, stock, and seasonings.  Bring to boil, then immediately lower and simmer for 45 minutes til corn is completely soft.   Add shrimp and simmer til just cooked through about 8 minutes.    Douse with a few drops of Sriracha if desired.

This was a huge hit; I think it would be epic with crab as well.  Think I'll try that next time!  But I'm not waiting til next January.

Glorious Soups!

January is National Soup Month

I loathe thin soups. 

Can't understand for the life of me why people would eat a consomme for example..? 

Why not just drink the stuff, rather than keep licking your lips as it dribbles down off the spoon?  Now, chunky soups are a different matter.  Anything reminiscent of a thick stew does the trick for me.

I've always wondered what's the difference between a stew and a soup? 

At what point does a soup metamorphosize into a stew?

As January is National Soup Month, Keri and I thought it appropriate to pay tribute to a number of our favorite soups, sharing both the recipes we like to make at home and those we consume at Reading Terminal Market.

Kicking off with Keri's contribution... 

Keri's chicken noodle soup is the stuff of legends.  Her chicken soup has alleged medicinal powers and is especially efficacious in exorcising coughs and colds -- her husband calls it "the golden elixir of health."  I think that she's probably a white witch.  That would explain both the healing powers of her soup and why her cakes rise higher than anyone else's... 

For other suggestions about how to knock a nasty cold on the head, see another of Philly Food Lovers' posts:  T'is the Season...  for a hot ginger recipe that our Indian friends Farah and Pia both swear by.

Last year we featured an historic soup which elicited a number of reactions - good and bad - at the Forgotten Food Festival in Reading Terminal Market. 

Pepperpot Soup is often refered to as "the soup that won the Revolutionary War." 

But according to one of our readers, this claim is "bogus".  He posted his version of the 'truth':  "Of course, the whole Valley Forge story, while entertaining, is entirely bogus. Pepperpot came to Philly by way of the West Indies long before that cold winter in 1777-8. The earliest recipes call for turtle instead of tripe. In any case, it's still delicious!"

Thanks for setting the record straight, Sir. 

We also chased the Market's own Jack McDavid to get our hands on his version of Pumpkin Soup, which was featured on FOX Philly.  His soup included a most unusual mystery ingredient.  You'll have to read the post to find out what this was ;)

The things you do for live TV
...Jack McDavid of the Down Home Diner cuts up a pumpkin outside FOX Philly's HQ

Over the next week, Keri and I will be researching soups from both North and South of the Mason Dixie Line.  One of the things I love about writing a blog is that it forces me to step outside my comfort zone and try new recipes that wouldn't normally be on my radar. 

I'm sure it's dead easy but my task this week is to rustle up a clam chowder.  I'm going to make the cream version because it's my son's favorite.  My husband on the other hand prefers the lighter tomato-based version. 

So which one do you prefer?

Cheap and Cheerful: Beef Pot Roast

A lovely slab of beef from Reading Terminal Market

Beef can be expensive.  And most of us are counting the pennies this month.

One of the most cost effective ways to buy beef is as a joint for a pot roast (or Yankee Pot Roast as it's sometimes known).

For a pot roast, you can use a cheaper cut of beef than normal - a chuck steak is great - throw some colorful root vegetables, onions and potatoes into your crockpot, add some flavorsome liquid, braise this concoction for several hours and you're away. 

The end result?  

Through the braising process the beef becomes tender, juicy and practically falls apart as you devour it...And no-one is the wiser that you used a moderately priced cut of meat for your roast!

We like this pot roast recipe from The Food Network:

Cooking in a crockpot is particularly healthy because you slow cook the vegetables and release all their goodness into the gravy.  We like The Food Network's recipe because they suggest blending the cooked vegetables directly into the gravy after they are cooked through, which is useful if you have children with an aversion to vegetables.

A perfect accompaniment to a pot roast is Rick Nichols' Brussels Sprouts- a version of a recipe borrowed from celeb chef Mark Vetri.  We bumped into Rick recently at Reading Terminal Market as he was buying his brussels from hs favorite Pennsylvania Dutch merchant.  Here's his spin on a classic Vetri dish: Charred Brussels

One last suggestion:  Befriend your butcher.  At the Reading Terminal Market there are both generalist and specialist butchers (like Giunta's or Godshall's Poultry) and they know what they're talking about. 

Don't be shy about asking for cheap and cheerful cuts of meat.   If you're lucky not only will they share their professional wisdom with you...but they may also give you one of their own family recipes!

Sweet Treats in the Market

Baking Season is upon us, and recipes are flying.  But some of us are just not bakers.  Never fear; deprivation need not be your destiny.  Reading Terminal Market is a mecca for treats the year round, but especially as the holidays approach.....

Termini's Tiramisu Cake is a perpetual favorite.

Flying Monkey's Pumpple Cake is justifiably world famous..

Photograph by Albert Yee

Pumpkin Pie from Market Bakery....it isn't just for Thanksgiving any more!

Chocoholic?  Try Metropolitan Bakery's Chocolate Guinness Stout Cake.

Bieler's Bakery has a staggering selection....

Pennsylvania General Store stocks a wide variety of cookies, chocolates, and other treats.

And for those of you who do bake, stay tuned.  We'll be featuring plenty of ideas for homemade treats in upcoming posts!