Toss these impressive mock-fried chickpeasin your salad or pop ‘em while watching Sunday night football. Canned chickpeas are roasted in a hot toaster oven and then tossed with evoo, garlic and herbs.
We could all feel angelic while devouring these amazing, six-ingredient red velvet cupcakes at my daughter’s christening. Red velvet cupcake mix + 2 egg whites + diet cream soda for the cupcakes. Reduced-fat cream cheese + powdered sugar + vanilla extract for the frosting.
The local fervor for Korean cuisine has continued to bloom with the growing national trend. You’ve no doubt read about the Korean food trucks popping up in major west and east coast cities. Korean was the buzz on many of this year’s restaurant trend watch lists. And, the Plate magazine that arrived on my desk last month was dedicated to banchan, bulgogi and everything in between. And it’s no wonder this is our latest cultural food obsession. Like other Asian cuisines, Korean food is bursting with fresh ingredients and a pleasing complexity of flavors.
I claim no expertise, but my intrigue has grown over the past few years. Several batches of homemade kimchi have been attempted (store-bought is still much better). We hosted a Korean barbecue cookout last summer and have our yearly tradition of celebrating New Year’s Eve at a Korean restaurant.
Last summer's Korean BBQ cookout. We used this recipe from the NY Times.
As I write this I’m in the midst of our annual holiday cookie baking marathon. Despite all the great tasting goodies of the season, I think most of us crave a detox come January. Good thing one of the latest Philly restaurant trends is healthy cuisine. Seasonal produce, organic ingredients and calorie counts are all part of these new quick serve and full-service establishments that you would never guess as good-for-you. Try a few of these city and regional places this month – eating well has never been so easy.
This past spring, I spent 36 hours flying to the chaotic culture-fest that is Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Our long-planned trip to Thailand was re-routed at the last minute, thanks to violent protests in Bangkok.
So in light of my current culinary fixation, I’m sharing my top five traditional Vietnamese dishes, and where you can find them in Philadelphia:
Philadelphia’s restaurants are riding a wave of trends that are sweeping across the nation. Here’s a glimpse of what to try now … and what’s slated to come during the New Year:
The cupcake trend is still going strong - multiple places have opened up to cater to our cravings and the offerings are wildly creative. It’s a Cupcake (958 N 2nd St.) opened this past summer in Northern Liberties and touts a signature flavor of sweet potato pie, as well as cupcake collections – including one that highlights savory ingredients. Sounds like we can have dinner and dessert here.
“We have no German restaurants.” It was a common complaint by many after Ludwig’s Garten shuttered in early ‘08.
Raise your beer steins for a prost (cheers) because it’s no longer true. A little research unturned some under-the-radar European haunts around the greater region. These destinations, coupled with the recent opening of Brauhaus Schmitz on South Street, means there’s plenty hearty fare to go around. And there’s no better time than this month, which brings the start of Oktoberfest, a worldwide festival also hugely celebrated in Philadelphia.
The topic at hand couldn’t come at a better time, personally. Being that my family is almost one hundred percent German and we are heading to Deutschland this month for vacation (yes, hitting up the real Oktoberfest), when better a time to immerse myself in all things German?
Like most, I have friends and family members who are focused vegetarians. I remained narrow-minded about the topic, though, until I recently read a book about it. Inspired, I spent the last few weeks table-hopping to some of our region’s veggie restaurants. Truthfully, I didn’t think I could survive without meat. Of course I did, and along the way my perspective on food expanded. New ingredients and cooking challenges entered my home kitchen. I also gained an appreciation for this culinary genre and the talented Philadelphia chefs who can enlighten even the biggest meat eater.
